QUESTION
One of the difficulties with the “4 Elements” is that there is a vast amount of information to learn in it. Each middah contains 16 parts to learn about, and this is an endless kind of learning. There are people who are finding it hard to analyze all 16 parts of even one middah. A person can find it too overwhelming to learn so much information and to take such a deep approach that has so many details to it. If a person finds the approach too overwhelming, does this mean that the “4 elements” approach is not for him or her? Would this kind of person need a different approach?
A tremendous Yasher Koach to the Rav.
ANSWER
The approach [of the 4 Elements series] is not for everyone. It is only for people who are capable of depth and subtlety, who have patience, and who are able to build and develop themselves by breaking down all the details. It’s recommended only for this kind of person to identify which particular one of the 16 subdivisions [of the middah in question] are applicable to him, and that particular area should become his focus. There is no need to focus on any of the other areas being learned about.
If one finds even this to be too difficult, for the time being he should not involve himself with this kind of self-work.
