There are tzaddikim who have reached a spiritual level of not retaliating against those who pursue them.

But, who has seen a tzaddik who pays a lot of money to his greatest pursuers?!

The righteous Rav Mordechai Soferin shlit"a in a wonderful testimony about - the righteous Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a

"One must know how to behave with opponents, exactly as Rav Berland says: do all good for them, do not fight back, do not cause them trouble."

"My son was in Holland, he sought salvation from Rav Berland, the Rav told him 5,000 for redemption. My son asked where to transfer the redemption?"

"Rav Berland told him to give the redemption to one of his two greatest opponents with these words - go, take it to his home."

"Rav Berland did not take the money for himself, he told him: go bring it to his home."

"My son went to the home of one of the greatest opponents of the Rav, the opponent's wife opened the door, and my son said: the Rav sent this with me, she took it and closed the door."

"She was not surprised at all - he is one of a thousand, people are always coming and giving them thousands of shekels!"

"I do not know the matter of giving money to opponents, but there is a teaching in Likutei Moharan, teaching 277," answers Rav Soferin to the questioner and meanwhile turns to tell a story that testifies to this behavior of Rav Berland already decades ago.

"There was an incident with Rav Berland, an old story from 40 - 45 years ago, the Rav brought a Jew from Pardes Katz closer, from a family of criminals. This person started to return in teshuvah (repentance), but his family was a crime family, they said to Rav Berland: what are you doing? You took a soldier from us."

"They decided to teach Rav Berland a lesson, they knew he goes to the fields for Hitbodedut. In Givat Shmuel there were orchards and they would do Hitbodedut there. Rav Berland would go out there for Hitbodedut, a few guys waited for him there, and when he went out for Hitbodedut they caught him and beat him well."

"Rav Berland fell, lay on the ground, and when they started to leave he took out a 100 lira bill, gave it to them, and said: come again tomorrow and I will give you more."

"The messengers returned to those who sent them and said: to such a man you tell us to beat? Have you lost your minds?!"

"Did two of them return in teshuvah? Certainly! Such behavior is not common."

"They asked Rav Sheinfeld, the student of the Chalban, about this behavior that Rav Berland says to do good to all the opponents, he said: this is the work of Rav Berland, you should not do them good! You should not approach them and not speak to them, there is no need to speak ill, there is no need to fight them, but doing them good, that Rav Berland will do."

"Our Rebbe says in teaching 277: know that there is a dispute against a person, one should not stand against the enemies, saying: as he does to me, so I will do to him. This our Rebbe says to everyone, not to say, he does this to me so I will do to him as well, because this causes the enemy to achieve his desire, it will cause him to succeed in seeing in him what he wants to see. Rather, on the contrary, it is appropriate to judge them favorably and do all good for them."

Do you hear what he says? Do all good for them.

"It is written in Likutei Moharan so Rav Berland does."