The Divrei Shmuel of Slonim zt'l taught his son, the Beis Avraham zt'l, a rule of rabbinic leadership that his son could use when he became a rebbe. The Divrei Shmuel told him that when someone goes against you, repay him with kindness. Don't fight back because you will only lose in the end. The Divrei Shmuel told his son a story that happened to him in his younger years, when he would travel from city to city to deliver Chasidic drashos, to strengthen the communities. "In one city, a person would always seek a way to disagree or disprove what I said. At first, I didn't understand what he wanted from me, but then I understood that he simply is looking for opportunities to oppose me and to make my life miserable. So I decided to help him. I purposely made mistakes so he could feel good about correcting me. Now, this person is from my loyal chasidim, prepared to do anything for me. This is the only way. To be kind to those who do bad to you. If you fight back, you won’t gain anything other than making your life miserable."
