The Trust Factor
A daily lesson that focuses on achieving unparalleled success in life using ancient wisdom in modern times.
We will be discussing critical concepts as they are laid out in the book Sha'ar Habitachon - The Gate of Trust. Written 1000 years ago, the author reminds us of the values and wisdom that have allowed humanity to thrive throughout history.
The concept of trusting in a higher power that exists purely for our benefit, puts us in the drivers seat with absolute confidence to achieve greatness.
Eliminate: Fear, Hatred, Anxiety, Depression, Jealousy, Greed...forever!
* Note that some terminology will be in the original Hebrew or Aramaic which I will always follow with the English translation.
The Trust Factor
Episode 14 - Stop Hoarding for Tomorrow: A Radical Perspective on Wealth and Faith
The ancient contrast between the "alchemist" (today's scammer) and the faithful person reveals profound lessons about life's approach to wealth, security, and peace of mind. What happens when we stop viewing our income as solely our own responsibility and instead recognize it as coming from a higher source?
This thought-provoking exploration reveals ten fundamental differences between those who place their trust in divine provision versus those who rely on deception. From the ability to settle comfortably without fear of exposure to gaining natural respect from others, the benefits of faith extend far beyond the spiritual realm into practical daily living. The faithful person enjoys freedom from anxiety, jealousy, and the constant fear of discovery that plagues those who choose deceptive paths.
Most striking is the counterintuitive wisdom regarding wealth and saving. Unlike conventional financial advice that emphasizes hoarding for tomorrow, we discover how faith teaches focusing on today while trusting tomorrow's needs will be met. The wealthy believer recognizes money as a divine trust meant for community support, while those with limited means understand their situation as freeing them from burdens that accompany wealth. By taking regular inventory of how our needs have always been met—through both difficult and prosperous seasons—we build confidence in continued provision rather than anxiously accumulating for an uncertain future. Ready to transform your relationship with wealth, work, and worry? This timeless wisdom offers a radical alternative to modern financial anxiety.
Subscribe to continue exploring these life-changing perspectives on faith, wealth, and finding peace in an uncertain world. How might viewing your resources through this lens change your relationship with money?
Good morning everyone. We are continuing with the last three benefits the distinctions between the alchemist, a scam artist, somebody who cheats people for a living and somebody who puts their faith in Hashem. The alchemist is afraid to remain long in one place, right, whereas somebody who trusts in Hashem can settle in his land comfortably. Well, we can read that very quickly as if it's nothing. Think about having to constantly worry. Are you going to be able to stay in the place where you're comfortable? You build a life, you have a family, you have a business, you have friends and community, you have all kinds of things surrounding you, and you're constantly thinking how long is this going to last? How long can I keep the charade up? You know, when is it that I'm going to have to pick up and leave and leave everything behind, and how difficult is that going to be? Not an easy lifestyle, my friends. Number nine the alchemist benefits from his craft only in this world and in a limited sense, whereas a person with bitachon is surrounded by Hashem's kindness in this world and is rewarded with his goodness in the world to come. We haven't talked about that. We haven't talked about the world to come, even though these are all spiritual benefits. Remember, shara B'Tachon is going to list out five spiritual benefits to having trust in Hashem and it's going to follow up with five worldly meaning, five material this world benefits. Meanwhile, I kind of have a feeling that everything we've been reading so far really also applies to this world. So we're reading this together for the first time. I'm interested to see what happens when we get into the worldly benefits. But here he's talking about. He's saying that if you believe in Hashem and you trust in Hashem and you know your parnasah is coming from Him, then not only are you benefiting in this world by having all the things we talked about peace of mind, no anxiety, no worry, no fear, no hatred, no jealousy All these things are benefits but also you benefit the next world. Why? Because you're not sinning in this world, you don't have to resort to sins, you don't have to resort to crooked ways of living in order to earn your income and therefore you're not constantly sinning and going to suffer in the world to come. You're going to benefit in this world and in the next.
Jessy Revivo:The final difference between an alchemist and an individual who believes, a scam artist and a believer is that the alchemist will be killed if discovered, whereas a person with B'tachon always gains respect and admiration. Now, unless you're talking about people who hate anything to do with religion and unfortunately we have plenty of those Unless you're talking about somebody who specifically had bad experiences as a child with a corrupt version of religion or whatever it may be, and somebody has a passionate hatred towards religion and God God forbid most people will admire, most people will appreciate and respect somebody who is a man of God. They understand that these people are holding themselves to a higher account. When you see somebody who's behaving in a way that is representative of the teachings of the Torah, you naturally put that person in a higher regard. Again, unless you have a warp ideology of what's right and wrong and unless you think that your only goal is, or should be in this world to acquire as much wealth at any expense, at any cost you may if that's your outlook, you may look at somebody like that and think what a fool. Why is he playing by the rules? It doesn't pay to play by the rules, but thankfully, most people are not like that. Most people understand that we have to be good to each other, that we have to invest in others and in ourselves, that we have to work to be the best version of who we are in this world, and so when we see somebody who's actively trying to do that, then we naturally have an appreciation for them. We naturally put them on a pedestal and think, wow, I wish I could be like that. I wish I could have more self-introspection. I wish I could take more time to develop the person that I am. What's the proof that what I'm saying is true?
Jessy Revivo:If you've ever been on an airplane, if you've ever gone for a flight somewhere, especially a long-distance flight, when you walk onto a plane, if you're a Jew and you see another individual who's a religious Jew or a rabbi, and if you see multiple of them, guess what happens? Your blood pressure starts to drop. Do you know why You're not as worried anymore? Suddenly, you're thinking it's not going to be bad. Why? Because I'm on a plane with somebody who God loves.
Jessy Revivo:If you're a non-Jew and you see a religious person, again, you feel the same way. You think, oh, it's going to be okay. Tell me, I'm wrong. I feel that way. I'm sure you feel that way also. There's a reason for that.
Jessy Revivo:So the alchemist, while he's on the run, while he's constantly being sought after by the people who he scammed, because eventually they catch on and eventually they have to go after him. You know, back in the day, a thousand years ago, he'd have been hung in the town square. Today, he'll spend the rest of his life in jail or on the run, whereas somebody who's got faith in Hashem doesn't worry about those things. They rest, they relax, they enjoy their lives. Whatever income they have, big or small, they enjoy and they have blessings.
Jessy Revivo:From my friends, we just finished off 10 of the differences between a scammer, between an individual who doesn't have faith in Hashem and doesn't know where his income is coming from and thinks that it's his job, and only his job, to get it. And the craftier he is, the more wicked, the more roundabout he is, the more money he can make at everybody else's expense versus somebody who puts their trust in Hashem, knowing that they've been around for 20, 40, 60, 80 years and they've never missed a meal. Things have always worked out. Sure, there've been around for 20, 40, 60, 80 years and they've never missed a meal. Things have always worked out. Sure, there have been tough times, there have been good times and everything in between, but at the end of the day. Everything always works out If we're honest with ourselves and we look back in hindsight and we review our lives and even the times that we thought were very, very difficult. They served a purpose and ultimately they were for our benefit.
Jessy Revivo:Now we continue on with the fourth spiritual benefit of bitachon remember there are five, so the fourth is a very interesting one. He says yet another one of the benefits that a trust, that trusting in hashem provides regarding torah matters, is that when one has bitachon in Hashem, he will properly utilize his resources in Hashem's service, regardless of his financial situation. This gets very, very interesting. He says that if somebody's wealthy right and the opportunity comes up to give tzaddaka to spend money, to dip into his savings, to dip into his wealth and to take care of an obligation that he needs, that a community needs, in order to fulfill the commandments of Hashem, he does not delay. He immediately puts his hands in his pockets and donates eagerly and generously. Right, that's if somebody's wealthy. If somebody is not wealthy, he says he will be content, for he will realize that lacking excessive money is actually to be counted among the favors that hashem has bestowed upon him. You hear this. By virtue of having limited funds, he has been freed from the various monetary obligations that extra money would impose on him towards Hashem and towards people. This is a very, very interesting idea.
Jessy Revivo:Over here, a lot of times, people seem to think that no matter how much you make and no matter how much you're worth, you always have to give as much money as you can, and every time somebody asks, you have to give. And in general, that's a wonderful concept. But charity starts at home. Tzedakah starts at home, in your house. If you can't afford to feed your families and you're giving your money away, then what you are is, unfortunately, a fool. Not only are you not keeping hashem's torah, you're actually doing the very wrong thing by giving money away to other people while your children don't have what to eat or you can't afford to pay your mortgage. You are going against torah ideals, my friends.
Jessy Revivo:So what it's explaining over here is that somebody who's got money is challenged much more than somebody who doesn't. Somebody who's wealthy is constantly being approached, is constantly being asked for donations. Why? Because Hashem gave him that money. For that very reason, hashem entrusted that individual with that wealth to be able to be called upon when needed, when Hashem needs a new shul, when a community needs a new Torah, when an individual needs food for Shabbat, when a community needs something, then the leaders of that community automatically go to the people who Hashem has trusted the money with. That's it. That's how it works, and if those people don't respond properly, then they have an additional accounting with Hashem that they will have to deal with after 120 years.
Jessy Revivo:At the same time, the individual who doesn't have money, who doesn't have means that Hashem says it's not your test, I don't need to trust you with this money. Maybe you fulfilled this part of your life in a previous go-around, maybe in a previous go around, maybe in a previous existence. You've already conquered your evil inclination when it comes to having wealth, so I don't need you to have wealth in this time. I don't need to depend on you to do the right thing, because maybe you've done it in a previous existence. So you don't have those additional worries. You have to take care of you and your family and those outside of your family who you can afford to take care of. And when, god willing, the time comes that you do have extra money, the ability to give more tzedakah, then you'll be called upon and then Hashem will watch closely. Are you going to do what he wants you to do with it or are you going to hoard it? Are you going to hang on to it for dear life? And your decision and your actions will determine what will happen next. That's how it works. So he's saying over here that somebody who has money and has bitachon, has trust in Hashem, knows the reason he has money is in order to support Hashem's Torah, hashem's community, hashem's world. That's why he gives you the money not to amass massive amounts of wealth, not to be able to beat Elon Musk, because today everybody's in a race to amass as much wealth as possible. Put as much money in the bank as possible.
Jessy Revivo:You know, by Torah standards, we're not supposed to save for a rainy day. We're not supposed to save for tomorrow. Where do we learn that from? We learned that from the man that fell from the sky. We were walking through the desert. We left Egypt as slaves. We were walking through the desert and food fell from the sky. When we came to take that food in the morning, we were only allowed to take one portion for that day. You were not allowed to take for the next day and if you did, it spoiled. It went rotten. The only time you were allowed to take for the next day was on Friday, so that you would have for Shabbat and then it wouldn't spoil.
Jessy Revivo:From there we learn you have to worry about today. If you're worrying about tomorrow, it's a direct indication that you lack faith in Hashem. There is no better indication. If you're constantly worried I need money to marry my kids, I need money to buy a new house, I need money for a rainy day. I need money for this, a new house, I need money for a rainy day, I need money for this, that and the other thing, whatever it may be, you're constantly thinking about that then it demonstrates a clear lack of faith and trust in hashem. If you really, if you've been around 30, 50, 70 years and you stop and do a real accounting and look back in your life and recognize that you've always had what you needed, things have always worked out for the best, then you should be able to naturally build that confidence.
Jessy Revivo:If you stop and look back, the problem comes, my friends, when we don't stop and take an inventory.
Jessy Revivo:We don't stop and review our lives. We're so busy looking forward, we're so busy planning for the future that we don't stop and analyze our past. And if we did, just for a few minutes once a week, stop and recognize how amazing things have been, how perfect things have been your health, your children, your parents, your family, environments, your community then you would have no choice but to be grateful. And if you're grateful, then you recognize where it's coming from. And if you recognize where it's coming from, then you stop worrying about more of it coming tomorrow. Hashem has been supporting you and giving you life and resources, your entire existence. Keep doing the things that you need to do and he will continue to do the things that he needs to do. That, my friends, summarizes the class for today, and we are going to continue. God, my friends, summarizes the class for today and we are going to continue, god willing, tomorrow, finishing off the fourth and moving into the fifth benefit of trust in Hashem. I wish you guys all a wonderful day and we'll speak tomorrow.
