Deuteronomy 8:3 contains one of the Torah's most famous lines: "Man cannot live by bread alone". Although these words are quoted frequently, the continuation of the verse is equally important: "...but by all that proceeds from the mouth of G-d." What this verse is telling us is that since man cannot live on bread alone, he will either fill that extra space with real meaning - a relationship with His Creator, or he will look for substitutes to that meaning, such as food.
Human beings, unlike animals, need "meaning" in life. The Kabbalists explain this as one of the parallels between the material and spiritual worlds: This drives us to want more than just bread. Even though it is a poor substitute for real fulfillment and meaning, food is often the focus of our quest for meaning.
Notice that the more meaningful a day you're having, the less your desire for food. We have all experienced days full of excitement and fulfillment when our desire to eat just seemed to disappear. When life is fulfilling, then we look less to food for satisfaction. We have something other than bread to be nourished by.
On the other hand, we've all had depressing days where we desired to eat nonstop. Realize what this means: If you use food as a stimulant, it's because life itself isn't very stimulating. Unfortunately, your craving for meaning cannot be fulfilled as easily as it is to order a hamburger. Spiritual needs require much more time to fulfill than the three minutes it takes to order a burger and fries.
There is an easy way to gauge your spiritual level: If you need food to elevate your mood, you may be failing to fulfill your spiritual needs. Next time you find yourself looking to food to pick you up, hesitate a little. Try to define what it is you really want to achieve. Using food in an attempt to obtain real meaning and fulfillment will only lead you further away from a spiritually fulfilling place. Instead by leading with your mind and not your stomach, by thinking about what is truly bothering you and what you are truly looking for, you can avoid the quick and empty "fix" that food offers, and instead find the deeper meaning for which you long.
Adapted from Rabbi Stephen Baars
Human beings, unlike animals, need "meaning" in life. The Kabbalists explain this as one of the parallels between the material and spiritual worlds: This drives us to want more than just bread. Even though it is a poor substitute for real fulfillment and meaning, food is often the focus of our quest for meaning.
Notice that the more meaningful a day you're having, the less your desire for food. We have all experienced days full of excitement and fulfillment when our desire to eat just seemed to disappear. When life is fulfilling, then we look less to food for satisfaction. We have something other than bread to be nourished by.
On the other hand, we've all had depressing days where we desired to eat nonstop. Realize what this means: If you use food as a stimulant, it's because life itself isn't very stimulating. Unfortunately, your craving for meaning cannot be fulfilled as easily as it is to order a hamburger. Spiritual needs require much more time to fulfill than the three minutes it takes to order a burger and fries.
There is an easy way to gauge your spiritual level: If you need food to elevate your mood, you may be failing to fulfill your spiritual needs. Next time you find yourself looking to food to pick you up, hesitate a little. Try to define what it is you really want to achieve. Using food in an attempt to obtain real meaning and fulfillment will only lead you further away from a spiritually fulfilling place. Instead by leading with your mind and not your stomach, by thinking about what is truly bothering you and what you are truly looking for, you can avoid the quick and empty "fix" that food offers, and instead find the deeper meaning for which you long.
Adapted from Rabbi Stephen Baars
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