When a person encounters opposition, [his opponents] are able to turn him away from God’s path and knock him down from his level, God forbid. King David, of blessed memory, took pride in this: “Many are my persecutors and my enemies; from Your statutes I have not strayed” (Psalms 119:157). Although he encountered much opposition, he still did not stray from God’s path.
כְּשֶׁיֵּשׁ מַחֲלֹקֶת עַל הָאָדָם, יְכוֹלִים לְהַטּוֹת אוֹתוֹ מִדֶּרֶךְ הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ, וּלְהַפִּילוֹ מִמַּדְרֵגָתוֹ, חַס וְשָׁלוֹם. וְזֶה שֶׁהִתְפָּאֵר דָּוִד הַמֶּלֶךְ עָלָיו הַשָּׁלוֹם (תהילים קי״ט:קנ״ז): רַבִּים רוֹדְפַי וְצָרָי, מֵעֵדוֹתֶיךָ לֹא נָטִיתִי – שֶׁאַף שֶׁהָיָה עָלָיו מַחֲלֹקֶת רַבִּים, עִם כָּל זֶה לֹא נָטָה מִדֶּרֶךְ הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ:
When a person encounters opposition, [his opponents] are able to turn him away from God’s path and knock him down from his level, God forbid. King David, of blessed memory, took pride in this: “Many are my persecutors and my enemies; from Your statutes I have not strayed” (Psalms 119:157). Although he encountered much opposition, he still did not stray from God’s path.