Our Gemara on Amud Beis describes the rabbinic apprehension of the Maaseh Merkava, the “Heavenly Chariot” described in Yechezkel’s vision. Though they are unable to see it with their eyes, they are able to comprehend it with their heart. 

Rav Gershon Henoch Leiner (1839-1890), a third rebbe in the Ishbitzer dynasty, writes about this idea in Shaar Haemunah Veyesod Hachasidus (24). He maintains that despite that people like to think they are rational, in fact, emotions drive a person’s intellect. When the proper emotions are in place, they are capable of imagining and understanding matters that ordinarily would be beyond rational faculties. He quotes our Gemara to say that even though on one level we cannot ever comprehend or really know God’s existence, our desire to have faith will allow us to transcend the limits of comprehension and “know” God.

From a philosophical and psychological perspective there also is an understanding that mental imagery is key to human cognition. Kant famously claimed that imagination is “a necessary ingredient of perception itself” (Critique of Pure Reason, A120, fn. A) And Jean-Paul Sartre says, “nothing can be learned from an image that is not already known.” and “it is impossible to find in the image anything more than what was put into it,” and we can conclude that “the image teaches nothing.” (Sartre 1948, 12, Sartre 1948, 146–7). (Both of these quotes courtesy of the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.) If I understand this correctly, the idea is that we cannot organize reality without using some degree of imagination to interpret it. When we walk into the room and see a box, cylinder and rectangle, our imagination tells us it’s an ottoman, desk and a cup. 

The Baaley Tosafos, who were sophisticated philosophers without ever studying philosophy, essentially say the same thing. The Gemara (Avodah Zara 28b) says the eyes are dependent on the heart. While Rashi understands the Gemara to be stating some kind of direct biological connection, Tosafos (“Shurayyni”) sees it as more perceptual-neurological. He says what the eyes see are dependent on the understanding of the heart.

Psychologically and theologically speaking, it is important to recognize that our emotions are not only components of our personality and thought, but actually may form the very basis of our thoughts and perceptions.

Translations Courtesy of Sefaria, except when, sometimes, I disagree with the translation

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