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 54 - The Divine Principle That Guarantees Miracles in Your Life
What does it take to make the impossible possible? Can we actually influence divine intervention through our actions? The ancient wisdom of "measure for measure" reveals a profound spiritual mechanism that could transform your approach to life's greatest challenges.
At the edge of the Red Sea, with Egyptian armies closing in, the Israelites faced certain death. When Moses cried out to God, the response was unexpected: "What are you calling out to me for? Tell the nation to start moving." This moment teaches us that prayers alone aren't always enough—action must accompany faith.
The waters didn't part immediately. They remained firmly in place until one man, Nachshon ben Aminadav, took the ultimate risk by walking straight into the sea. The miracle only occurred when water covered his nose—the exact moment he went completely against his human nature. This powerful demonstration of the "measure for measure" principle shows that when we break our natural limitations, He responds in kind.
This episode unpacks the spiritual negotiations happening behind the scenes and reveals why this ancient story contains a critical lesson for modern life. If you're seeking divine help or miracles in your own circumstances, understanding this principle gives you a powerful tool. Change your nature first—transform those character traits holding you back—and watch as new possibilities open before you. Don't delay this transformation; as we discuss, the longer you wait, the more difficult meaningful change becomes.
Ready to invoke divine intervention in your life? Listen now to discover how breaking your own nature might be the key to breaking through the impossible barriers you face. Then join our community of seekers putting these principles into action and experiencing true transformation.
Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to the Trust Factor. This is the podcast that guarantees success in life using divine age-old wisdom. Today is going to be a spectacular episode. You're going to want to stick around. We may even go long, but that's okay, because it's worth it.
Speaker 1:The concept that we're talking about today is this idea of measure for measure. You've heard about it before. We're going to expand on it, and I'm going to give you an example. Measure. You've heard about it before. We're going to expand on it and I'm going to give you an example, something that you might have heard in the past. And that's okay. We've said, even if you've heard it, it's fine. Repetition is key. It needs to be ingrained into the fabric of your being, and the only way to do that, the only effective way to do that, is repetition. So bear with us if you've heard it before. If you haven't heard before, you're sure to be impressed. But even if you have, remember this is critical information and it may impact you differently today than it did five years ago.
Speaker 1:Here's the story the israelite nation leaves egypt 3700 years ago, roughly 3800 years ago. The israelite nation leaves slavery. We were slaves in Egypt for 210 years. Egypt at the time was the most decrepit place on planet earth. It was devoid of all morality and that's where we lived for hundreds of years. We became slave, ultimately slaves for 210 years, and then we were freed. We were walking through the desert trying to get. You guys all know this story. You've all seen the movie. We're trying to get to the promised land and we finally come upon the Red Sea. Ahead of us is only ocean. Behind us is Egypt, where we just came from. To the right and left of us is strictly desert, and we have to make a choice. Which way do we go? Suddenly, we hear the thunder of the chariots and the horses of the Egyptian army coming to destroy us. They are livid that we've left and haven't returned and we've taken all of their valuables, and they're coming after us to destroy us. What do we do? Where do we go? What happens at that critical point in history?
Speaker 1:The Torah tells us that Moses looks up to the heavens and starts to scream out to God for help. And what does God say in response? He says Mati tzakelai, what are you calling out to me for? Speak to the nation and tell them to start moving. Go forward In.
Speaker 1:There is a spectacular message. What is it? It's twofold. Number one God is saying listen, there is a time to move, there's a time to act, a time to do and a time to pray. Now is not the time for prayer, now is the time for action. Get up and move right. That's number one. What's number two? Number two is you've prayed to me. I got it. I got it. I heard your problem.
Speaker 1:Now it's time for you to move, which means if you want help, you need to help yourself. You can't sit around waiting on open miracles to come from the sky to help you and to save you. You need to take an action, you need to take a step, you need to strike. Once you've done that, then you can step aside and watch his handiwork. But it's incumbent upon us to first make a move. So that's what happens. God says what are you yelling at me for? Get up and start moving.
Speaker 1:Now the nation is looking at each other and they're wondering what do you mean? What does he mean? Where are we going to go? We can't go forward because there's water in front of us and there are chariots behind us. If we go right or left, they're going to catch up to us in seconds and if we go straight, we're going to drown. What are we going to do?
Speaker 1:The sea, we know, splits. Everybody knows this story. Movies have been made about this. The sea splitting is the pivotal miracle that God created in history that everybody is well aware of. Why did that sea split? And the sea hadn't split for them in order for them to go through. That's why they were calling out to God in the first place. If the sea had split immediately, there'd be no need for Moses to call out to God, there'd be no need for prayer. They'd get the message, start walking, but that hadn't happened. What actually took place and there is a tremendous lesson that comes out of this what took place right there and then is that, as they were contemplating what to do, understanding and knowing that they are not fish and they are not amphibians, they cannot live in the water, what did they do?
Speaker 1:One individual decides that he is going to take it upon himself, because the same God that just performed open miracle after open miracle in Egypt, bringing 10 plagues upon the Egyptians, destroying the most powerful nation in the world at the time, the superpower of the planet, was brought to their knees into rubble and utter destruction and the Israelites didn't have to raise a finger. Nachshon ben Amin Adav, the one individual who is credited with this, acknowledges that it's the same God that is saying right now I want you to move forward. And that's exactly what he does. He doesn't wait. He starts to walk into the water and the water does not split. It doesn't split, not until it surpasses his knees and his waist, gets up over his chest still doesn't split, gets up over his neck and his chin, and the only time that that water splits is as soon as the water comes up and covers his nose. Why, why, why didn't it split before? Why wait for them to pray number one, number two if they've already made a commitment to move forward, open up the waters and let everybody go at once? Why did it take Nachshon ben Amin Adav, the one individual, to step into the water? And then, after he stepped into the water, why did it take for that water to rise up to his nose before the water split? And to understand this, we have to delve a little bit deeper.
Speaker 1:Here's what happened in the spiritual realm. God said to the water I want you to split from my nation. I want you to open up and make a clear path for them that they can walk through. The water was never programmed to split. It wasn't in its DNA. Water does not stand tall on its own. So the water responded I'm not programmed. And God said I want you to do it anyways. I want to perform a miracle for my nation.
Speaker 1:In steps, the evil inclination in steps, the Satan, the challenger, the one who makes our life difficult, who tries to take us to task, he steps up and he says whoa, whoa, whoa, wait a second, what are you doing? They have no merit. They just got out of Egypt. 210 years of slavery, living in the worst, most decrepit place in the world, being neighbors with the most destructive individuals on the planet. They couldn't help but be impacted by the misery of this nation. This nation, the Jewish nation, the Israelites are holding on the 49th level of impurity. The last thing they're deserving of is an open miracle. One more level, the 50th level of impurity. And the Torah tells us we never would have been redeemed, it never would have happened. God could have never taken us out of Egypt. So the evil inclination steps up and says I'm sorry, but you can't do that. It's not justice. You created a world of justice and you have to adhere to that. You cannot perform an open miracle for them. They're not deserving.
Speaker 1:Why did it ultimately split? Because at the point which they became deserving was the point at which a human being who is not programmed to breathe underwater, whose DNA does not allow him to breathe underwater, when that individual covered his nose with the water, god said now I have the ability. Why? Because Nachshon ben Amin Adav went against his nature. He went far above and beyond human nature to say if God tells me to do it, I'm going to do it. Whether or not I think I can, I'm going to do it. And he did it. At that moment, god said, measure for measure If he is going to break his nature, if he is going to go against his programming, then the water is going to go against its programming for them. And that's exactly what happened. My friends, this concept of measure for measure is so important for us to use as a tool in life that we have to recognize the power of this story.
Speaker 1:The illustration tells us that if we want help, if we want divine help, more than that If we want a miracle, an open miracle, if we want God to change nature for us. He's willing to do it. He is willing to change nature to see us succeed. But there is a condition, and that condition is that we have to change our nature first. If you want him to do something, you have to do it first. You have to do something in order to require him to enact this concept, this principle of measure for measure. He created the world that way. He put that principle in place over here to say I'm operating the world based on this principle what you do to others will come back to you good, bad or otherwise. There's always accountability. Cause and effect. That's the way he created this world and he operates the world based on that principle, which means he himself is bound to that principle.
Speaker 1:So now you and I know and we have in our quip, we have in our toolbox a massive tool to say if I really need help, if I really need Hashem to step up for me and we all do, but sometimes we need him more than other times. If you're in that position and you really need a big one, you need a solid, you need a miracle. There is a way to get it, and the way to get that miracle is for you to change your nature. Change the person that you are that has been holding you back, the character traits that have been limiting you, that have been stunting your growth, that have been shunting your opportunity to connect back to your creator. Change those and change them now, because the longer you wait, my friends, the more difficult it becomes and eventually God forbid you simply cannot change. You are stuck in the situation that you're in.
Speaker 1:So the message today, my friends, is that you should incorporate this concept into your lives. We're coming on Shabbat, it's Friday. You have now a beautiful 24, 25-hour period to be able to contemplate, to be able to commit to change, to real change. Strike while the iron is hot. It is on fire right now. I know you're motivated. Make the commitment, make the change and begin the process of spectacular growth. Have an amazing Shabbat and we'll pick up next week.
