Think Jewish

In this class we continued Chapter 46, learning how every mitzvah creates an intimate bond with God, like a marriage. Through a mitzvah, a person becomes united with God's transcendent holiness. We saw that this connection is available to everyone, regardless of their past or spiritual level, which also helps explain why Jewish law takes keeping Shabbat and holidays so seriously, and why even partial observance matters. We ended with a discussion on feeling lonely or disconnected, and the Chabad teaching that "a chassid is never alone."A weekly class. Learn the practical and mystical fundamentals of living a life of purpose and meaning. We will be using this text https://a.co/d/1PmaeD7. Join every class, or join a single class, as each will be filled with ways to live your life purposefully.Recorded Live October 13, 2026 Rabbi Pinchas Adler

In this class we continued Chapter 46 and its meditation on reciprocal love. Just as a parent's love doesn't depend on a child's behavior, God loves us even when we feel undeserving. Using the parable of a great king who comes down to a lowly citizen, we saw how God chose us and offers an intimate relationship through Torah and mitzvos, described as a kiss and an embrace. We also discussed how to make these ideas personal in a busy, distracted world, and how seeing God as loving rather than punishing changes the way we experience mitzvos.

This Tanya's class introduced a new section on developing love for God through reflection. We learned how God’s love for us can naturally inspire us to love Him in return. We explored three main ideas: God’s greatness, our own lowliness, and the incredible love God shows us. We were encouraged to focus on appreciating God more during the High Holidays as a first step toward developing this love

In this class we focused on compassion as a way to serve G-d. We discussed having compassion for our Godly soul and how this can help us reconnect with G-d through Torah and mitzvot. We also learned how acts of kindness and charity create a strong connection with G-d, and how compassion can lead to feelings of love for G-d. We ended by reviewing the different levels of awe and love we learned about in the previous chapters.

In this Tanya session, we learned how compassion can help us serve God. We discussed the Godly soul and how it can feel distant from its divine source when we get caught up in the physical world. Instead of judging ourselves, we can have compassion for our soul and use that feeling to reconnect with God. We also learned that compassion can motivate us to serve God even when we don’t feel love or reverence.

In this Tanya study session, we explored different types of love for God and how they can be developed through meditation and spiritual practice. We discussed the four meditations for cultivating love, the idea of “fake it till you make it,” and how different levels of love can elevate our mitzvahs. We also learned about the difference between natural, inherited love and love that grows through effort and understanding, and how studying Chasidic philosophy can deepen our connection with God.

In this Tanya session, we explored what it means to love God like a child loves a parent. We discussed different ways to develop this love through meditation, expressing it through words, and thinking about God as a caring and perfect parent. We also learned that even if we don’t always feel the emotion, the effort to love God and perform mitzvahs with the right intention is still meaningful and valued by God.

In this Tanya Tuesday class, we learned that the main purpose of Tanya is to teach us how to serve Hashem with genuine love and awe, not just through our actions. We explored different levels of love for Hashem, how meditation can awaken the natural love within every Jewish soul, and why personal reflection during prayer and mitzvot helps strengthen our connection to Him.

While love of G-d can sometimes awaken first, that is the exception. The normal path is to begin with basic fear of G-d and Torah observance, allowing the light of mitzvos to enter the soul—only then can a true love of G-d fully shine.

This class we learned about the different levels of awe and love for God. We discussed how awe leads a person to serve God with respect, while love creates a deeper desire to connect with Him. We also learned that there are different levels of spiritual growth, and that reaching higher levels takes time by building one step at a time.