Two Minutes a Day: Making Chassidus Part of Everyday Life

Brooklyn photographer Naftali Marasow shares the inspiration behind a daily Chassidus initiative reaching around 250 listeners.

By Naftali Marasow

I’ve always been passionate about learning Chassidus. It gives me perspective, keeps me grounded, and helps me feel connected to the Rebbe throughout my day.

As a photographer, husband, and father, my schedule is full and often unpredictable. Between weddings, travel, editing, and family responsibilities, there is always something that needs my attention. Daily learning gives me an opportunity to pause, think, and reconnect with what matters.

After the horrific terror attack at the Chanukah celebration at Bondi Beach in Sydney last year, I felt compelled to add more light. I decided to start sharing my daily learning with others, hoping that something meaningful in my own life could become meaningful in theirs.

That became the Daily Chassidus WhatsApp group, which today reaches around 250 daily listeners.

The format is simple. We learn a maamar one paragraph at a time, through a daily voice note averaging about two minutes, accompanied by a short English summary. Each recording builds on the previous day’s learning, helping listeners follow the ideas and work steadily through a complete maamar.

I know many people want to learn Chassidus more regularly. But Chassidus is deep, and opening a maamar can feel overwhelming when you don’t have much time or aren’t sure you’ll understand it. Too often, the desire to give it the attention it deserves means postponing it—and another day or week goes by.

The goal of this group is to make it easier to begin and keep going.

You can listen while driving, cooking, or heading to work. Each day brings one manageable piece, with an explanation that carries the thought forward. Over the week, those few minutes accumulate into a connected understanding of the maamar.

There is tremendous value in sitting down with a sefer and concentrating fully on the learning. I hope these recordings also encourage people to open the text, revisit an idea, or explore it further.

In a world accustomed to short messages and instant access, we have an opportunity to bring meaningful learning into people’s everyday routines.

My hope is simple: that someone who has wanted to learn Chassidus but hasn’t found a way to make it part of their routine will give it a try. A couple of minutes each day, one paragraph at a time, can help us understand more, think more deeply, and keep our connection with the Rebbe present in our everyday lives.

Learn Chassidus. Daily.
📖 One אות a day
📚 One מאמר a week
✨ Clear, concise summaries — explained in English
👉 Join the daily WhatsApp learning

https://chat.whatsapp.com/DsUoU1INpFLBdRKYkgzOtD

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