Question:
In our generation we are finding two central causes for all personal issues: depression, and fear. There are therapists today who see these two experiences as the root of all issues in the soul that exist today. I want to ask: In the Rav’s series of the Four Elements, the Rav explains at length about the element of earth as being the cause for sadness (and laziness). I see that the series on the four elements does not cover the issue of fears – why? Fear doesn’t come from the four elements? Aren’t fears a product of a certain element or trait? I am aware that the Rav addresses the topic in the series on bitachon (trust in G-d), but the many prevalent issues in our society related to fear have prompted me to ask why the subject of fear hasn’t been addressed in the series about the four elements. Many thanks to the Rav.Answer:
If a person fears [a situation that involves] destruction, such fears stem from the element of fire. If a person fears a state of becoming confined, such fears stem from the element of wind. If a person fears pain, such fear stems from the element of water. If a person fears a lack of stability, the fear stems from the element of earth.
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