I know a Lubavitcher who maintains a peculiar and bitter מנהג [which is "אותיות "גהנם]: he collects copies of the Yated Ne'eman newspaper, spreads them across the damp floor of the mikvah, and uses them as a bathmat to step on while he gets dressed.
I attempted to reason with him. I pointed out that Rav Schach has long since passed away and that the editorial vitriol [I didn't use the word "vitriol". I spoke in Hebrew...] of the past has largely faded into history. He was unmoved. I then appealed to his sense of Halacha, reminding him that these newspapers contain Divrei Torah, psukim from the Tanakh and the teachings of Chazal, and that treading upon them is a חילול קדושה.
Yet, even Halacha could not compete with the depth of his disdain. His hatred for Rav Schach and his followers has become part of his "Chasidus". What would the Ba'al Shem Tov say??
This man is a living testament to a tragic truth: holding onto anger and resentment is like drinking toxic poison and expecting your enemy to die. When hatred dictates our actions, we do not humiliate our enemies; we only harm ourselves. This man has been walking around for decades with this hatred. So for the sake of your own soul, if you are carrying a grudge—let it go.
"As I walked out the door toward the gate that would lead to my freedom, I knew if I didn't leave my bitterness and hatred behind, I'd still be in prison." — Famous political prisoner.
