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 174 - Stop Doomscrolling Your Own Thoughts
What if the peace you want is closer than you think? We take a hard look at why anxiety spikes in a world of constant alerts and imagined disasters—and how trust in God can bring the mind back from the cliff’s edge. Along the way, we preview a can’t-miss conversation with Rabbi Chaim Hildeshaim, a seasoned guide who has walked thousands through spiritual struggle and everyday life.
Drawing on Rabbeinu Bachya’s Chovot HaLevavot, we explore how thousand-year-old wisdom lands with surprising force in 2025. The core idea is simple and radical: trust reframes both good times and bad. Instead of spinning out on “what ifs,” we practice returning to the present, acknowledging the gifts already in our hands, and believing that future outcomes are arranged for our good. That stance doesn’t cancel planning or responsibility; it drains the panic from them. We also press into a tough claim from Jewish mysticism: jealousy and anger function like idol worship because they quietly say, “A different god would have done better.” Seen through that lens, contentment becomes an act of loyalty—and freedom.
This is a practical, compassionate take on faith and mental health. You’ll hear language for naming anxiety’s fiction, steps to build a daily gratitude practice, and a candid critique of cultural incentives that keep us grasping for more. We aim to help you enjoy the life you’ve built—relationships, work, health—without the constant hum of dread about losing it. And tomorrow, we go deeper with Rabbi Hildeshaim to bring lived stories and grounded counsel to these ideas.
If this speaks to you, follow the show, share it with a friend who needs calm today, and leave a quick review telling us where you most want to regain peace. Your words help others find their way back to trust.
Until next time, have a spectacular day!
Good morning everybody and welcome to the Trust Factor, the podcast that guarantees your success when you implement its divine age old teachings. I hope you are pumped for tomorrow. Tomorrow is the first interview of the series. It is going to be a game changer. It's difficult to put into words the power behind speaking to people who have dealt with the issue of trust in God not just for themselves, but for dozens and hundreds and sometimes even thousands of people, where they hear intimate stories from individuals who are their congregants, people who rely on them, people who come to them for trust and guidance and advice with issues of spirituality. These people understand the concept of trust and faith in God better than anybody else on the planet. And so tomorrow we're gonna have the merit of hearing from Rabbi Heim Hildesheim, who's been doing this, I've known him for 15 or 20 years. He and he's probably been doing this 10 years prior to that. So he's been doing this for a very long time, his whole life, basically. And he has stories to share and he has wisdom to share, and it's going to be amazing. If you're benefiting and enjoying these podcasts, then tomorrow is going to be a whole other level of enjoyment. Right now, the second area of distinction that Khovot Halevovot is bringing, Rabinu Bachia, almost a thousand years ago, is telling us today in 2025 things that are so relevant to us today. Everything, absolutely everything that we have discussed from the beginning of this podcast until now has been just as relevant today, if not more, than it was a thousand years ago. Think about that. Humanity has not changed in the way that we're built. If anything, we've just moved further and further away from the giving of the Torah, from the truth, the ultimate truth, our relationship where we heard God speak to the entire nation in his voice. The further we get away from that, the more difficult our challenges become. We're living again in a world that is concealed, a world that is called Olamha Shekhar, a world of lies, and so that becomes more and more difficult as we get away from that ultimate truth. But you can see that clearly, just as it was applicable a thousand years ago, so too it is today. The second area of distinction, peace of mind, guys. How much do we need that today? How much are we suffering from the exact opposite? Just look at how many people are medicated for anxiety, for depression, for OCD, for ADHD, for all these emotional problems that they deal with. People are medicated. We are more medicated today than we have ever been in history. And if you want to say, well, that's because we've got more medications available to us today, maybe, maybe you're right. But the fact that we are all running to them is an indication. It's an indication of where we are, where we as they say, where we're holding in life. And it's not a good place. A lot of us don't have peace of mind, and it's not our fault. I want you to know that. It's not our fault. It's the fault of the system that is around us that surrounds us, which by the way is made up of who? Us. So, in a sense, maybe there is a little bit of blame there, but it is not you and I. It is the people who are at the top of the food chain who cannot control their desire for money and for power and for fame and for fortune. They have no control over it. And so they're operating in a broken system and they're perpetuating the corruption that's in there, the rot that exists, they're continuing with it. They're just taking it to another level in every generation. It's not getting better, my friends. And so all that noise and all the distractions and all the lies have caused us to lose this thing called peace of mind. What does Rabin U Bahia say? He says that one who trusts in God has peace of mind in any situation, for he is satisfied with his lot, and his heart is at ease regarding any decrees that Hashem may ordain on him in the future. He knows that the Creator will arrange those decrees for the benefit, for his benefit, in both his present material world and in the afterlife. Thus he has no reason to worry about what potential calamities and tragedies may await. That's what a lot of people do. Our anxiety comes not from our current situation. Our anxiety comes from what may come down the pipe, what we may have to deal with. Because in our minds, we have already painted that picture. And our minds, for anybody who's been through anxiety and depression, you know that it is not that you're just a little bit out of whack, that you're just thinking a little bit beyond where you're actually at. Your mind goes to the opposite extreme of reality. It takes you to a place that is so far removed from reality, but in your fight or flight, in your fear, that response drives you to think that it's the end of the world. It's going to be as bad as it could possibly be. It's not going to end well. And that drives your anxiety. It's got nothing to do with reality. It's not based in reality. It's based in a fiction that exists in our heads. And that fiction drives us to scenarios that are nowhere in the realm of our reality, but it takes us there as a defense mechanism. Fight or flight, be prepared. Don't get hurt. And so that's where our mind takes us. That's what he says right here. There's no reason to worry about potential calamities. Potential. There's potential for everything. And what about the potential good? How come we're not anxious about all the potential good that's coming our way? Doesn't make sense. We're not programmed that way. You understand? Peace of mind, trust in Hashem. Very simple. As for one who does not trust in Hashem, the opposite, he is beset with constant anguish and protracted worry about the future, like we just said, and grief over a heartache, and grief and heartache never leave him, whether in good times or in bad. This is what I talked about a few days ago. What's the downside to all this? The downside is that you cannot enjoy what you have. You cannot enjoy what you have been given. You work so hard, you maintain good relationships, you have an amazing job, you have wonderful children, you have health, your children are healthy, your parents are alive and healthy, you're living in a wonderful community. There's money in the bank, there's food in the fridge, there's cars in the driveway, you live in a wonderful neighborhood, you have every opportunity to grow and to achieve, and you've bought things and you've and you've outfitted your house and you've got material wealth as well, and yet you cannot enjoy it. You simply cannot enjoy the fruits of your labor or what Hashem gave you. It's shocking. It's shocking, it's so sad. It's so, so sad. We work so hard, and Hashem gives us so much, and we could sit literally all day and just sing his praises in the joy and reveling in the amazing things that we've accomplished that he's allowed us to amass and to achieve. And instead, where's our head? What happens if I lose it? What happens if I can't afford to maintain it? What happens if somebody gets sick? What happens if I can't find a mate, a spouse for one of my children? What if and what if and what if, and it drives you mad? And because of that, you are so protracted, you are so removed from the existing world that you worked so hard to create and that Hashem wanted to give you to enjoy, and you cannot enjoy from it. It is so sad. We don't even realize it. I just realized it the other day in my own life. I'm walking through life. Guys, you know I'm talking to myself as much as I'm talking to anybody else here. I often find myself, I catch myself going through life so fast, dealing with so many issues and putting out so many fires that I have to stop myself often and reflect and remind myself. What is it that we talk about in the podcast? What is it, this concept of trust and faith? Am I living it? Stop, take a breath, ignore all of the noise, block it out, put up an iron wall. Nothing penetrates. Right now, it's just me and my thoughts and my creator, and remembering who he is and what he has done for me. And looking around, opening my eyes, look at my wife, look at my children, understand where each and every one of them are holding, where their life is at, how amazing the opportunities are that they've been given. Just the fact that they're happy and healthy and capable and growing is amazing. It's that in itself is enough to be so grateful for that all the other problems or worries melt away. We have to do this on a daily basis, guys. When you do that, what you get is exactly what Rabinu Bahya is trying to tell us over here. During good times, he says he has heartache because of his discontent with his situation and his constant aspiration to increase and to add to and amass possessions. And during bad times he has heartache because he is disgusted by his situation, since it is contrary to his desire and conflicts with his nature and personality. Do you understand, guys? Exactly what I just said. We are constantly upset because our you know, just as an aside, the c the the Zohar, I believe, Kabbalah Jewish mysticism says, and other places, many places, that anger and jealousy is a is akin to idol worship. What do you mean? How what's the connection? Why is jealousy or anger connected to serving other gods? And the answer is simple. When things don't go our way, we get mad. When we want something that somebody else has, we get jealous. And what we are saying in our anger and our jealousy is that God, you're not doing a good job. I think I can do a better job, or I think there are better jobs to be done and you simply aren't doing it. You're not meeting my expectation. And as a result of that, you get mad and you get jealous, and all of the that's why it's called idol worship, because you are looking for other gods to give you the outcome that you want, and so you cannot enjoy from all of the things that you've already got. When you have God and you understand that everything is perfect, you know that what the other person has is not yours, and it could not be yours. And if it was yours, it would be the worst thing in the world. And instead of being jealous, you should be grateful that you don't have it and that the other individual does, because he needs it. He needs it to fulfill his purpose in this life. You, my friend, do not so shift focus, look away from there. God willing, we'll all live that way, and we will all have peace of mind on a day-to-day basis and throw our meds in the trash where they belong. My friends, that wraps it up for today. Tomorrow is the big day. Don't miss it, my friends. Tune in to learn about trust and faith from one of the Torah leaders in our community. Have an amazing day.
