As an observant Jew, and especially a rabbi, I am exposed to prayer and praying on a regular basis. Yet, I learned one of my most favorite prayers from a recovering crack addict. He told me that whenever he feels the urge to use drugs, he closes his eyes and prays: "Please G‑d, help me find in You what I am looking for in the drug."
The Kabbalists teach us that nestled within every created thing is a spark of G‑dliness. When the human body hungers for a piece of physical bread, this is but a reflection of its soul's craving for the spark in the bread. The craving is coming from the holiest place within each one of us — our soul.
The very fact that we have this yearning is powerful proof of how G‑dly we really are! Our prayer is a way to ask for Divine assistance; we’re asking to be able to discover what it is we are really looking for.
So next time you feel a pull, an urge to use — stop, close your eyes, and ask G‑d to help you find in Him what you’re looking for in that cookie. Just open your eyes, make a blessing and enjoy. You have just ingested a spark of G‑dliness.
