Q: Since I was a child, I can look deeply into a person's eyes and see the history of
their heart (emotions) and how they are feeling right then. From this
information somehow I just know the circumstances that caused these
emotions. But this only happens when I make (pupil to pupil) eye contact
and as soon as I do I 'see into their heart'. Because of this reason I
have trouble looking people in the eyes for fear of what hurts I may
see. What is the Kabbalistic explanation for this?
A: The understanding of the heart is dependent on the sight of the eye.
The Ba'al Shem Tov, the heart of Israel, corresponds to the heart, while Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi (Ba'al Hatanya) corresponds to sight. ( Even his name, Shneur, alludes in Hebrew to light/sight.)
To rectify this sense, it is advisable to study Keter Shem Tov of the Ba'al Shem Tov and the book of Tanya of the Ba'al Hatanya.
This sense was given to you only so that you can actively help others. If you cannot help them, this is a form of impotence and is not part of holiness, but rather of the outer, impure shell.
You can help others by praying for them from the depths of your heart, encouraging them through speech, and being a positive spiritual influence on them by teaching them Torah and Chassidut. (In order to be a positive spiritual influence on others, one must thoroughly study Torah and Chassidut, himself!)
