When a random stranger does a favor for you, you probably feel grateful. It’s so nice that someone went out of their way for you—that he or she was highly considerate when not evening knowing you.

But that’s the thing; they don’t even know you. As kind or friendly as they are, there is a distance between you and them. There is no closeness, attachment or familiarity. They don’t know the deepest parts of you, what makes you tick. There’s no intimacy.

When you learn the words of Torah, there is intimacy. You’re not “just doing G‑d a favor” by fulfilling his mitzvot; you are getting to know G‑d. Instead of merely fulfilling His will, you are becoming one with it. Since halachic rulings constitute what He likes and represent His truest desires, engaging your mind at a Torah class is uniting your soul with G‑d’s will (see Chapter 5), which is one with G‑d Himself.

There’s more that learning Torah accomplishes. While G‑d is constantly “aware” of His unity with His creations, creations aren’t. (See Chapter 21) There’s a gap in perception, and Torah learning bridges that gap. It reveals a deep and G‑dly light, and exposes the truth of reality—that G‑d and His people are united in an inexplicable, inseparable manner.

With true intimacy.

Tanya Bit: Learning Torah is getting to know G‑d himself.

(Inspired from Chapter 23 of Tanya)