Question:
Each person has seven primary negative emotions, as mentioned in “Getting To Know Your Feelings”. Do each of these emotions stem from a specific element in the soul, or is there a branch of the soul, or several branches, which are motivating a particular emotion (i.e. fire-of-water, or fire-of-water-of-fire)? What are the elements behind each of the seven primary negative emotions? Thanks for all of the help. I am still gaining immensely from all of the Rav’s sefarim. A friend of mine has told to me several times that he is now beginning to learn the “Bilvavi” sefarim and that it is changing his entire life, for the better.Answer:
Each emotion has a primary element behind it, and in addition, the other elements mix with it. Love (ahavah) comes from the element of water. Fear (yirah) comes from fire. Pride (hispaarus) comes from wind. Victory (nitzachon) comes from fire-of-water. Admitting (hodayah) comes from water-of-fire. Lowliness (shiflus) comes from earth. That is a general description, and there are further details.
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