Outline for Chaburah at 1245 ny time, tomorrow IYH.

Da es Nafshecha:
(Deep self study in order to achieve deeper deveikus from a balanced place within) 

Getting to know your Soul

pages 11-18

Introduction to the four midos:

The personality (and each thing in the natural world) is made up of four elements: fire, wind, water, earth (the midos, character traits, are rooted in the soul and are  the means through which the soul expresses itself in the body).

Rav Chaim Vital:
the negative expression of the midos:
fire: anger and conceit
wind: excessive chatter
water: pursuit of pleasure
earth: sadness

Rishonim:
four basic forces in the world:
Destruction =fire
Movement= wind
Vitality= water (gives life)
Stability= earth (gives existence and stability to all things)

All of these exist within us.  Our job is to first figure out which is predominant in each of us.

Destruction:
Fire: Negative: destruction through action or speech and conceit ("I am higher than YOu")
Positive: source for personal growth; burn negative actions to grow.("you cannot be both above and below")

When these people choose a goal, anything else that exists in them becomes meaningless to them. Problem is that sometimes they will try to go to something higher even if not ready for it.  This person wants to add to what he has in growth.

Movement: 
wind: moves on its own:
negative: too much physical movement or inner agitation
positive: give it a direction and move with it

Vitality:

Water: 
negative: constant yearn for something that makes them feel alive- to always feel vitality - may avoid mitzvos that don't make him feel alive-may chase desires

 Positive: can be content to do anything as long as he feels alive- satisfied as long as he is gaining  from his current level/ more steady growth, antidote is to do even what you don't enjoy while trying to develop feelings for what you are doing.  

This person looks for how to enjoy what he is doing in the present (the fire person anticipates the future mitzvah and doesn't care about feeling alive, simply wants to grow higher).

Stability: 

earth: negative: sadness and laziness
positive: its essence is about giving constructive stability and expression to the other qualities- fire, wind, water don't have real form without earth.


Homework: Discover your dominant one
Discover your weakest one

(Our weakest element is the source of all our failures, need to balance it by guiding and strengthening the opposing midah.)