The Wonders of Harav Yitzchack Kadouri

291 The Rav was also tremendously pro¿cient in all form of natu- ral remedies, made from herbs and leaves. He urged people to drink a tea made from rosemary, as he held it had tremendous healing powers. Similarly, he advised many to drink a tea of chamomile, which has soothing properties for both the body and the psyche. He always told others that the body needs con- stant Àuids in order to function properly. For those suffering from digestive ailments, the Rav would advise them to add cumin to their food. The Rav himself would have some several teaspoons worth a day of cumin. The Rav had a healthy vegetarian diet, completely refrain- ing from eating meat, chicken or ¿sh. The Rav would sniff tabak (snuff) . He obviously had some rea- son for doing so, as he always shunned all delicacies or phys- ical pleasures. In Kabbalistic works it is written that smells affect the soul, and good smells help to elevate one in some transcendental way, whereas bad smells can cause some dimi- nution to the proper functioning of the soul. Perhaps this was indeed the intent of the Rav. On Shabbat, the Rav would smell two myrtle branches while reciting Kiddush. This is mentioned in works of Kabbalah. Additionally, he would then say the verse, “A pleasant fragrance, an offering to G-d,” as was the custom of the Ben Ish Chai . After the Shabbat was over, he would smell various scents during the Havdalah, such as rosemary, mint, cloves, and ba- sil. But he always had myrtle branches, based on Kabbalistic sources. (His candle was made of bees wax.)