Lilmod Ulelamaid,
When you are trying to determine the Torah’s position, you must do so from a place of rationality. If you determine that the Torah’s position is that you use your emotions when dealing with your children, then you should use your emotions while dealing with your children. But while you are deciding what the Torah’s position is, you have to keep your emotions at bay.
True, and good catch. I misread what yekke2 wrote. I wasn’t intending to imply that our emotions should override our obligation to learn and carry out the Torah’s position, but rather that when the Torah deals with emotional issues, it takes into account that we are emotional beings.