How to Awaken Hidden Love for the Creator: Spiritual Development Secrets from the Tanya
Spiritual development begins with understanding the treasures hidden within your soul. Inside you is a treasure you inherited from distant ancestors, but you don’t know how to use it. This is exactly what Rabbi Shneur Zalman discusses in Chapter 44 of the “Tanya” – a key work of Hasidic thought. He speaks about the hidden love for G-d that exists within every Jewish soul.
Two Types of Love Essential for Spiritual Development
Each of us has two forms of love for the Creator. They slumber in the depths of our hearts, waiting to be awakened:
- Love as for the source of life – when a person realizes that the Almighty is their true life, similar to how we yearn for the return of our soul after sleep or illness.
- Love as for a father – a more elevated form, like the love of a son who is ready to sacrifice everything for his parents.
These feelings don’t need to be created anew – they already exist within us, transmitted from our forefathers like spiritual genes. Our task is not to create them, but to reveal them as part of our spiritual development journey.
Obstacles in the Path of Spiritual Development
These precious feelings are often in “sleep mode,” hidden beneath layers of everyday concerns. We carry this love within us but don’t realize it until we learn how to properly “activate” our hearts.
“It is not beyond reach, nor is it far off, but it is very close to you, in your mouth and in your heart”
Practical Steps to Awaken the Heart
Here lies the unique approach of Rabbi Shneur Zalman – he offers concrete methods to transform the hidden into the manifest:
1. The Power of Habit and Speech
Begin regularly speaking aloud about how G-d is your true father and source of life. The sound of your own voice has an amazing ability to awaken hidden feelings. Say this again and again until:
“Habit becomes nature”
2. Deep Contemplation
Dedicate time to reflecting on how the Almighty is the true source of your life. Imagine how close the relationship between father and son is, and realize that your connection with the Creator is even deeper and more substantial.
3. Don’t Fear Imagination
Many are stopped by the thought: “What if I’m just imagining these feelings?” Rabbi Shneur Zalman boldly answers: don’t be afraid of this! Even if at first it seems like you’re pretending, continue – because at the foundation lies authentic reality.
“And if a person will habitually accustom himself to this, habit will become his nature”
Benefits of This Approach to Spiritual Development
When love emerges from its hidden state, it transforms a person’s entire spiritual life:
- Elevates service – studying Torah and fulfilling commandments become not just obligations, but expressions of love.
- Creates joy – similar to the joy of a king when his son returns from captivity.
- Transforms the world into a dwelling place for the Almighty – filling ordinary life with spiritual meaning.
Intellectual Love: The Next Level
There is also a third type of love – one that is born from a deep intellectual understanding of the Creator’s greatness. This love is like “burning coals” and a “great flame.” Why is it necessary to strive for this as well, if we already have two innate forms of love?
- It possesses special intensity and passion – “like the superiority of gold over silver.”
- In the very contemplation of the Creator’s greatness lies the highest purpose of a person – “to know the glory of the Almighty” – which represents the pinnacle of spiritual development.
Key to Success: Consistency
The most important aspect of this practice is regularity. Even if at first you don’t feel any changes, continue speaking about your love for the Creator, reflecting on Him as the source of life and true father. Gradually, what seemed like imagination will become your deep inner reality.
Just as we don’t always recognize the pleasure of life itself until we face illness or fatigue, our soul doesn’t always sense its inner connection with the Source of life. But this connection always exists, and it’s within our power to awaken it. This awakening is the essence of true spiritual development.
This article is based on Chapter 44 of the book “Likutei Amarim – Tanya” by Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi, one of the greatest Hasidic thinkers and founder of the Chabad movement.
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.
