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Emotion as a sign, not a reason

שו”תCategory: philosophyEmotion as a sign, not a reason
asked 5 years ago

Always in discussions on the subject of emotion, the subject under discussion is whether emotion is the basis of faith or as an additional side effect, etc. Questions that always touch on the rational, causal aspect of things. As it seems to me, there is another view on the place of emotion in God’s work. However, man was created in addition to reason with a system of emotion and it exists. Man does not always have a rational basis for reason. For example, the emotion of love is a simple emotion that exists, although it can only be defined. It exists. There are rules for the emotional system. One of the rules is that giving gives rise to love, and it is a simple, existing rule. What is derived from this rule is that when a person believes in reason through arguments and the like, and he fulfills the commandments or at least tries to uphold them and live the system of life according to the Torah, and so to speak, he devotes much of his will, his strength, his time, etc. to the Blessed One. It is only natural that emotions will arise in the human heart. The words of the Maimonides are well known, that the way to reach the service of God is by observing His actions and deeds, etc., meaning that there is a dimension of emotion as a system that simply works that way. When you see a person who lacks emotion, in some cases it could be because he is not truly serving God, and then the lack of emotion is a sign of his lack of service, and vice versa. When you see a person full of emotion, it is possible to explain this because he is living a life of Torah, although this is not necessary. If so, there is an important place for emotion as information about his relationship with God. For example, if we hear about a couple who are in a relationship but there are no signs of love, in most cases this indicates a failure in the direction of their relationship. If so, there is a source
To love God, the Blessed One, in that when one worships God in the proper manner, one will naturally come to love God, and vice versa. With thanks, Eliezer
 


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מיכי Staff answered 5 years ago
I have written several times about how emotion can indeed be an indication of valuable things (for example, the existence of a feeling of regret for an act is an indication that I understand that I was wrong). But if there is a person who is not structured in this way, that is, for whom regret is not expressed in emotion, there is nothing wrong with that in principle. If he has a normal emotional structure and yet does not feel regret, then it is an indication that he does not regret.

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