Awakening the Soul: 10 Spiritual Teachings from Rabbi Kalonymus Kalman Shapira

A Voice of Torah Amid the Flames

Eighty-one years ago, on the 5th day of the Jewish month of Cheshvan, 1943, Rabbi Kalonymus Kalman Shapira, the Rebbe of Piaseczno, was murdered during the Holocaust. Born in 1889, he was a leading Hasidic thinker known for his innovative educational writings, including the beloved Chovot HaTalmidim (“Duties of Students”).

During the German occupation, he remained in the Warsaw Ghetto, continuing to teach and inspire his followers. His wartime sermons were preserved and published after the war in the searingly emotional book Eish Kodesh (“Sacred Fire”).

Here are 10 soul-stirring teachings from Chovot HaTalmidim that continue to awaken and uplift Jewish hearts.

1. The Soul Awakens Through Effort

“Know that awakening the holy soul is not like awakening a sleeping body. A body can be awakened all at once, but the soul can only be stirred through continuous effort and labor. A person may fulfill mitzvot (Divine commandments)—pray, act—but the soul may still sleep. It must be forced to act, and in doing so, it will awaken and reveal itself.”

2. Always Remain Attached to God

“Even when not studying Torah, remember that you are a servant of God. Strengthen your faith, and think several times a day: ‘I believe in You, God, with truth and a whole heart. My Father and my King, I know clearly that You are Master of all worlds, of angels above and creatures below. You surround me and fill my body and soul. I am Your servant—my entire being belongs to You.’ Think this thought again and again, it contains everything.”

3. Prayer Is About Connection, Not Just Requests

“Train your heart and soul to pour themselves out to God in speech and prayer. A child, even an older one, may think prayer is just about asking for help, like a poor person pleading with a rich man. But that’s a misunderstanding. True prayer is the soul’s closeness to God, its pouring forth before Him. That is the essence of prayer.”

4. Sometimes Worry Is Sent to Inspire Prayer

“Not only is prayer not caused by worry and pain. Sometimes God sends us worry just so that we will pray.”
The Rebbe cites a Midrash: A king once saved a princess from robbers. Later, he wished to speak with her again, but she ignored him. So he sent robbers again to make her cry out to him.
So too, God longs to hear from the soul—His royal daughter—and sends difficulties to draw us near.

5. The Soul Is a Princess Meant to Marry the King

“Your soul is a royal daughter, and God desires to unite with her in holiness. Through deep, heartfelt prayer, the soul stirs from its slumber and connects with the King of Kings. That is the very purpose of prayer.”

6. Even Our Needs Can Stir the Soul

“God sometimes sends troubles just to awaken your soul to cry out. Begin with prayers that touch your personal pain, asking for wisdom, for connection to Torah, for sustenance for your parents. As your soul awakens through heartfelt prayer, you’ll find it catches fire even when praying purely for God’s honor, saying, for example, ‘You are holy and Your name is holy.’ You’ll feel yourself standing before the Source of holiness and will be moved by the words you speak.”

7. Speak to God Even Outside Set Prayers

“Don’t limit yourself to formal prayers like Shacharit (the morning service), Minchah (the afternoon service), and Ma’ariv (the evening service). Try to find moments during the day to sing and speak to God. The more you accustom your soul to this speech, the more your heart will soften, your spirit will rise, and your soul will come closer to God.”

8. Picture Yourself Before God

“If you struggle to feel that you’re standing before God—because you live in a material world—then look to the heavens and imagine: ‘I am standing here, and beyond the heavens is a whole other world, angels, the souls of the righteous, and the Throne of Glory upon which God rests.’ Tell yourself: ‘I bless You, God, even if I cannot see You. I lift my eyes to You and speak to You directly.’”

9. Heaven Delights When Eyes Meet Eyes

“Do you know how precious it is when you raise your eyes in prayer? In the book Heichalot (quoted in the Tur, Orach Chaim 128), God says: ‘If you knew what I do when they say "Kadosh, Kadosh, Kadosh"... I look into their eyes as they look into Mine. I hold My Throne, embrace and kiss each one, and remember their exile to hasten their redemption.’
Imagine: God and His children looking into each other’s eyes. A father and son, filled with love, unable to hold back from embracing.”

10. Keep Working to Awaken Your Soul

“If you work again and again to awaken your soul—not living seventy years with a heart of stone—your soul will eventually awaken on its own. Know that even the holiest tzaddikim (righteous men), in their early stages, had to use tools and strategies to awaken their pure souls.”

Rabbi Kalonymus Kalman Shapira’s teachings are not abstract theology. They are a blueprint for building an emotional, spiritual, and living connection to God.