How to Awaken Love for God Through Compassion: A Simple Path to Spiritual Unity
Finding authentic love for God is a journey many of us struggle with daily. The path to spiritual growth often seems complex and confusing. We search for ways to truly connect with the Almighty, but don’t always understand how to do it sincerely. Chapter 45 of the Tanya reveals an amazingly simple and effective method accessible to everyone who seeks deeper love for God.
Jacob’s Direct Path: Compassion as the Key to Love for God
There exists a special path of spiritual development – the path of compassion, associated with our forefather Jacob. Imagine: instead of complex spiritual practices, you can awaken deep compassion for the divine spark living in your soul.
This spark has descended from the greatest spiritual heights and found itself enclosed in a body, described as a “serpent’s skin.” Think about this descent – from infinite light to limited existence in the material world. Doesn’t this naturally evoke compassion?
Why Compassion Matters: The Spiritual Meaning of Mercy
When we remember our not-so-good actions, words, and thoughts, compassion for the soul intensifies. This isn’t just an emotion – it’s a deep understanding of what is called the “exile of the Shechinah” (divine presence).
Jacob in the spiritual worlds awakens great mercy for souls and their source – the community of Israel (Knesset Israel). As it is written: “And Jacob kissed Rachel, and lifted up his voice, and wept.” This image shows how connection with the higher source occurs through compassion.
Three Ways of Connecting with the Almighty Through Torah and Commandments
When we engage in Torah study and fulfill commandments with a feeling of compassion for our soul, an amazing thing happens – we create three types of connection with the Almighty:
- Connection of speech with speech – when we study the laws of Torah, our speech connects with divine speech
- Connection of thought with thought – during deep reflection on Torah
- Connection of action with action – when fulfilling commandments
These connections are described through metaphors of kisses and embraces. Studying Torah is like a kiss – a union of “spirit with spirit.” And charity and good deeds are like embraces from the right arm of the Almighty.
From Compassion to Love for God: The Practical Path
Amazingly, it is compassion for the divine spark that leads to awakening great love for God. The verse “Jacob, who redeemed Abraham” reveals a profound spiritual principle – the attribute of compassion (Jacob) can awaken and liberate the attribute of love (Abraham), establishing a foundation for genuine love for God within our hearts.
So we obtain a practical method for cultivating love for God:
- Reflect on the descent of your soul into the body
- Feel compassion for this divine spark
- Study Torah and fulfill commandments with this feeling
- The result – awakening sincere love for God that transforms your spiritual practice
Cultivating Love for God Through Simple Daily Practice
The beauty of this approach lies in its accessibility. It doesn’t require supernatural efforts or special abilities. Everyone can awaken the natural feeling of compassion for their soul, which blossoms into authentic love for God.
This path – through compassion to divine love – opens the possibility for true lishmah (studying Torah and fulfilling commandments for their own sake), filling all our spiritual actions with inner meaning and vitality.
This article is based on Chapter 45 of the book “Likutei Amarim – Tanya” by Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi, one of the greatest Hasidic thinkers.
Afterword: The text of this article has not been approved by any sage, Torah scholar, or rabbi and is merely a simplified adaptation of the sacred text for general understanding. For comprehension of true wisdom and a deeper understanding of the original text, you should refer to the sources.
