Ever want to feel spiritual? Is that a feeling that you want to experience?

If you are like me then that is something that you will want to feel.

There is a pleasure that comes with spirituality¹. To have a visceral feeling of spirituality is a heady and pleasurable experience

…If so, why don’t we feel spirituality more?

Nourishment

When you think of nourishment what do you think?

Bread and butter? Quinoa salad? Juiced wheatgrass?

These are all nourishment for the body.

Did you know that your soul needs nourishment too?

Yes, it’s true. Just like your body needs sustenance so does your soul.

All living things need sustenance. Your soul is a living thing so it too needs nourishment.

We are just more used to thinking about the body’s source of nourishment. We have biology class, doctors, nurses, nutritionists, and naturopaths all dealing with the workings, the biology, and the nutrition of the body.

The soul is just as complex of a creation, if not more. There is a system of nutrition for the body and there is also a system of nutrition of the soul².

Macronutrients for the Soul

We understand that with the body we have macronutrients; carbohydrates, protein, and fats.

There are also micronutrients and phytonutrients as well, which scientists are in the process of classifying and understanding.

This is all for the body.

The soul has three macronutrients as well and they are Torah study, prayer, and acts of kindness ^{3 4}.

These are the three macronutrients of the soul, and in order for your soul to be healthy, you need to imbibe and practice these three regularly.

Micronutrients for the Soul

The soul has micronutrients too. They are the 613 Mitzvos. Every one nourishes your soul in a different way. Just as different vitamins and minerals are good for different things and nourish your body differently, each mitzvah nourishes your soul differently.

You don’t feel spirituality? It may be because your soul is malnourished. Give your soul more nourishment and you will begin and get a feeling of spirituality.

Disclaimer: Feeding your soul properly won’t guarantee that you will feel spiritual, but it will set you up to be in a position that you can feel spiritual. One thing that is guaranteed is that if your soul is starved then you definitely will not feel spiritual

Nurse Yourself Back to Health

After a long time of starvation, our souls may be weak and will need to be nursed back to health. That is why if you learn a little Torah you might not feel a vibrant sense of spirituality. It is the same thing with the body, if someone was starved, one meal won’t all of a sudden make them feel healthy as a horse. It might take time.

It is not uncommon for people to come to Israel to study for a year post-high school. During their stay, they are completely immersed in soul-nourishing activities.

When immersed in Torah study, prayer, and acts of kindness, people who have never before felt spiritual to feel a sense of spirituality that they have never before experienced. They feel this way because they are finally feeding their soul.

So, let us ask again…

Do you want to feel spiritual?

Do you know how to get the feeling of spirituality?

I hope that after reading this you may know how to answer that.

 

 

1. This may be because you are getting a taste Olam Haba which is in its nature spiritual
2. Mishlei 9:5. The Torah is compared to bread. Also, see Pirkei Avos 3:18 and note 145 of Tiferes Yisrael.
3. Pirkei Avos Perek 1 Mishna 2. The world stands on and exists because of  Torah, Avodah, and Gemilas Chassadim. We know that a person is a mini world. Therefore a person also stands on and is built by these three.
4. These three correspond to the intellect, the heart, and the body. Torah study is the intellect, prayer is the heart, and acts of kindness is the body. These three nutrients nourish three levels of the soul Nefesh, Ruach, and Neshama.