תהלים, פרק צ״ז, פסוק י׳

True devotion to God requires more than just a positive feeling; it demands taking a firm, practical stand of absolute opposition to wickedness. Because loving God means loving absolute good, it naturally creates a duty to hate evil [מלבי״ם]. The primary approach among commentators is that this expectation is directed at the righteous. They are instructed not to settle merely for spiritual closeness to God, but to actively hate evildoers without fearing their power or retaliation. Offering a different perspective, some view this as a unique address to people from other nations who have repented and sought refuge with God. In this view, it serves as a clear warning for them never to return to rebellion or cause harm to Israel [מאירי].

These warnings and promises of divine protection are necessary because, in reality, wicked individuals often succeed and prosper. However, there is no reason to fear their success or the free will they are given to cause harm. While the rest of the world operates under general, natural laws, God provides His devoted followers with private, individual supervision [מלבי״ם].

This divine protection operates on multiple levels. Historically and physically, God acts as the exclusive guardian of His followers, rescuing them from their enemies just as He delivered them from the exiles of Babylon and Persia [רד״ק]. On a deeper, spiritual level, guarding their souls means protecting them from sin itself. God watches over the steps of His followers, ensuring they do not stumble into the advice of negative impulses or impure forces [אלשיך].

Even when the wicked are allowed to exercise their free will and set their traps undisturbed, divine salvation remains a certainty. God may allow a situation to reach the point where a righteous person appears to have fallen completely into the physical grasp of an evildoer. Yet, at the very last moment, God provides a way out, pulling the innocent person directly from the net that was laid for them [אלשיך].