Emotional Capacity

We are COMMANDED to be deeply emotional people.

We must be INFATUATED with Hashem and love all of His creations as well.

We have to feel a deep sense of awe at the presence of the Creator.

We must be SENSITIVE to the plight of the poor and unfortunate.

We are also taught to feel hope and anticipate better days.

We are PUNISHED if we don't have adequate SIMCHA. תחת אשר לא עבדת את ה' בשמחה is a reason for the terrible curses to come upon us.

But hold on! Let's say I am the intellectual type, not the touchy-feely deeply emotional sort?! How am I supposed to fulfill the aforementioned CONSTANT 24/7 mitzvos.

Option A - Give up!

:)

Not here sweetest friends!! Rebbe Nachman POUNDED into me that אין שום יאוש בעולם כלל - There is no room in this world for despair.

So what's the solution? The Rebbe in Hachsharas Avreichim let's us in on a DEEP secret.

All people are emotional beings. Not everybody is able to connect to that part of himself but it lies dormant in the recesses of all of our souls.

I have observed people who I thought were died-in-the wool kalters [cold unemotional people] at emotional times [weddings, funerals etc.] and seen ocean fulls of emotion gushing forth. Wonder of wonders.

It's there sweetest friends.

Just gotta access it.