When we climb up the levels of our soul, we step into a clearer awareness of our unique self, and enter into a realization of how vulnerable and yet how tender life can really be. We’re here on earth to discover the beauty that exists within every one of us, but we very quickly discover that this beauty is hard to sustain every hour of every day.

Our sages tell us that we need to learn how to climb up these levels, and they’ve given us guidance through the prayers and teachings, but it’s still up to each one of us to find our own way through the matrix of life and continue to thrive.

The key ingredient to this process, according to Rabbi Nachman of Breslov, is to learn how to temporarily release ourselves from the bondage of the physical world so that we can experience a closer relationship with the higher wisdom of the universe. This is not a simple matter at all, but he explains that we can reach this more intimate relationship when we learn how to let go of our yearning to know everything. Relating to the higher wisdom means that we have to live in “not knowing.” It means accepting our vulnerability and gradually developing trust in whatever comes next.