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For Rabbi Dr. Abraham Twerski a moment 50 years ago, when he was an internist, encapsulates the role of spirituality in the healing process.

Preparing to give a patient who had just underwent cardiac arrest an IV, Twerski was asked by the patient if he was a rabbi. Twerski replied that he was, and the man then asked Twerski to recite a prayer with him. Knowing that the patient was Catholic, Twerski recited the 23rd Psalm, a prayer both faiths shared. "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: For thou art with me," the psalm went.

Returning the next day, the man was in quite a better mood, telling Twerski how upon hearing the prayer he understood that he himself had walked through the shadow of death, and was no longer afraid of death, aware of all of the good he had done in his life as a police sergeant. "That prayer sure beat the hell out of the antibiotics," Twerski recalled the man saying.

On Nov. 2, Twerski, a rabbi and a psychiatrist specializing in substance abuse who has written more than 50 books, delivered a talk at St. Peter's University Hospital in New Brunswick on spirituality and healing.

Twerski began his lecture by defining spirituality, and the differences between it and religion. While spirituality is "an integral, essential, central part of religion," he said, religion is not essential for spirituality.

Spirituality is the embrace of those characteristics that make us unique as human beings, Twerski said.

"Our body is essentially that of an animal -- what makes us unique is our spirit," Twerski said.

These characteristics include the ability to think of goals and purposes in life, the ability to improve ourselves as human beings, patience, forgiveness, and the ability to search for truth, make moral choices, and do things for others, even strangers, at our own cost.

"If he implements these components of the spirit, he is being spiritual," Twerski said.

Twerski said that many people suffered from Spirituality Deficiency Syndrome or SDS, which he defined as "chronic discontent."

"Perhaps if I live long enough I'll see it in the psychiatric literature," said Twerski, who turned 79 this week.

Twerski stressed that such a condition was not necessarily a chemical disorder like clinical depression or Bipolar Disorder, and thus couldn't be treated merely through traditional medication.

Just as iron is the only nutrient that will help a patient suffering from an iron deficiency, spirituality is the only treatment for SDS, he said.

According to Twerski, this "chronic discontent" can lead to substance abuse and addiction whether it be it the form of drugs, alcohol, gambling, food, sex, or even making money.

These substances, he said, gives addicts "the temporary feeling of relief from discontent."

Twerski said that people often blame their discontent on others (their job, community, spouse, ect.), without dealing with the root cause. "If we keep looking for something to blame and not look towards spirituality, nothing will be resolved," he said.

Twerski finished his talk by commenting upon the role of religion in developing spirituality.

"Yes, spirituality is one thing and religion is another, but religion is extremely important," he said.

Twerski said that when interviewing for a job at a hospital, the interviewing doctor asked him how he could be a psychiatrist while also be religious. In the doctor's office was a coat rack, which stood rather precariously, Twerski recalled. The doctor went over to the rack and repositioned it so that if it fell, it would be supported by the wall.

"That's exactly what I'm trying to say," Twerski told the doctor about his attitude toward religion.

"It is important for a person to have faith in something that can support him," Twerski told the audience, adding that he was offered the job.

In attendance were members from the Jewish community as well as health professionals from St. Peter's and the area.

Dr. Robert Knee, a radiation oncologist at St. Peter's, said he found the talk inspirational and pertinent to his role as a physician.

"As physicians we deal with a lot of these issues in our professional and personal lives and the critical issue for me is the feeling and empathy you have for your patients. I think if you show empathy and real concern, patients appreciate that," Knee said.

Also in attendance was Hazzan Sheldon Levin of Congregation Neve Shalom in Metuchen, who said that he had previously read several of Twerski's books and that Twerski's message was important for him to hear so that he could better help his congregants.

"I'm always interested in learning more about how faith helps in the healing process," Levin said.

Gail Canary, a Parish nurse at Liberty Corner Presbyterian Church and who is not Jewish, said she was pleased that Twerski was invited to speak at the hospital.

"We all have the same needs and need to be able to learn from each other, wherever wisdom is found," she said.