The Essence of Nourishment
What is it that truly keeps us alive? Is it G-d’s Will? Yes. Is it our own will? Also. What else is it?
What is the essence of illness? What is the essence of all healing?
These may sound like puzzles, but they are actually simple questions.
Let’s explore:
Rav Yehuda Leib Halevi Ashlag, a 20th century Modern Hasidic Kabbalist otherwise known as Ba’al Hasulam for his epic running commentary on the Zohar, teaches many meta concepts that aid us in understanding life. For example, Chassidut asks: What is the purpose of creation? Various answers have been given - beautiful in their own rights, for example, from the Lubavitcher Rebbe: “For G-d to create a dwelling place in the lower worlds.” Rav Ashlag takes this to an even more graspable, less material place. He says that the purpose of the creation of the world was: “To bestow pleasure/goodness/abundance to Its creations”. Of course, in order to bestow anything, G-d had to constrict Its Oneness and become an array of distinct entities capable of giving and receiving, aka relating.
What does this have to do with nourishment? We’re getting there !
Indeed, if the purpose of creation is such a beautiful one, then we have gained the key to life. The key to life is pleasure. Now, thank G-d we have been given a wonderful set of traditions, namely the Torah, which teaches us the difference between true pleasure and fleeting pleasure. Still, the main idea is that we must enjoy our lives. We must be nourished - deeply nourished by pleasure in this world.
Sound simple ? Good ! The essence of nourishment is enjoying. This is why so many people talk about being nourished by love, by hugs, by kind words, good conversation and so on. So, too, we must feel joyful about our physical nourishment. It does not make sense to force ourselves to eat or drink things we absolutely hate unless we can at least perceive a difference in how we feel. (We sometimes do need to be a little patient.) So, too, it does not make sense to eat things of low quality simply because they’re “cheap” or “convenient” ! We must make sure we are happy, satisfied, nourished and compassionate towards ourselves - first of all. Better to savor a little of something nutritionally-dense & high quality than indulge in something of lower quality. Once we feel like full cups, we can overflow blessings to others effectively.
Nourishment via pleasure is an important thing. We live & learn what actually gives us pleasure. Does stuffing ourselves with enormous meals full of extravagant foods give us pleasure? Not usually ! Not unless we’ve really fasted beforehand. Don’t just think - How will this taste? Think - How will this feel once in my stomach?
Recall that there is a good intention behind this world. That is key to health and to living vibrantly. That is key to being connected to G-d. G-d being: the source of Light, Good, Healing & Blessings.
Our next questions were: What is the essence of illness? What is the essence of healing?
For these questions we will again draw from the teachings of Rav Ashlag. Being spiritually close to someone means having things in common with them. So, to be close to G-d, we should adapt Its traits. Since G-d is the Source of all abundance, good-will, blessing & health, we should therefore do our best to emulate G-d in all of those ways. The word holistic, as in ‘holistic health,’ is from the word whole. In Hebrew, shalem, whole, is the same root as shalom, peace. The Creator, Boreh is the same root as the word for healthy, Bari. {Creator<->Health<->Wholeness<->Peace}
The essence of health is emulating the Creator and learning to be more holistic. The essence of health is understanding the interconnection of all things and firstly, of ourselves & our various aspects. The essence of health is to be like the Source of all health & healing -- to be, ourselves, sources of blessings, good-will & giving-natures while thereby deeply appreciating each moment.
The essence of disease would be the opposite, mainly, the experience of separation; where the headache in a physical head has supposedly nothing to do with emotional stress; the flaming anger at the ‘other’ who actually represents an aspect of G-d, nothing to do with physical pains… Our discomforts are often pointing us to look at ourselves and hear the message coming through. We need to take more responsibility for ourselves and seek health from deep inside our beings, not simply from the external, topical or pharmaceutical.
With Blessings of Health, May we merit to Emulate our Awesome Creator.