feivel,
nowadays our understanding and sensitivity to the higher spiritual world has been deadened and hidden. trying to grasp it is trying to grasp Hashem. dont let the Yetzer Ha Rah stop you.
I agree with this in principle, but one must be careful in the application. Our conduit to the spiritual world is Torah, and its core precepts should garner our primary attention. Spices smell very good and therefore capture our attention, and, applied with skill, can turn a regular meal into a gourmet masterpiece. But chasing after spices when there is no meat to put it on makes no meal at all.