The Strength to Step Back: What My Shtender Taught Me About Leadership

Parashat Shelach Lecha 2025/5785

In this episode of Torah from Boca, I share the story behind my humble wooden shtender—purchased in a basement shop in Jerusalem—and the verse I had engraved on it: “Moses was very humble, more than any man on earth.” That verse has shaped how I strive to lead.

Drawing on Parashat Shelach Lecha, we explore how true leadership is not always about being the loudest voice in the room. It's about knowing when to speak—and when to make space for others to rise. From Moses to Hillel, from Caleb and Joshua to the leaders of today, we look at the sacred dance of humility and courage.

Because sometimes, leadership isn’t about stepping up—it’s about stepping back.

Torah from Boca – Episode Title: How a Two-Week Trip to Volunteer In Israel After October 7 Changed My Life with Yocheved Ruttenberg

In this powerful episode of Torah from Boca, Rabbi David Baum speaks with Yocheved, founder and CEO of the Sword of Iron Israel Volunteer Corp—the fastest-growing grassroots volunteer movement to emerge in the wake of October 7.

What began as a two-week mission—armed with 23 duffel bags of donated supplies—became a life-altering journey of Aliyah and purpose. Yocheved shares how she left behind a sales career in Dallas, Texas, and committed herself entirely to the people of Israel. Since then, her organization has mobilized over 40,000 volunteers globally, bridging communities and sparking a worldwide wave of action and unity.

Listen in as we explore the sacred responsibility of showing up, the courage to start something new, and how Torah values come to life through acts of hesed, leadership, and resilience.

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Click Here To Read About Yocheved's Incredible Story

🎙️ Torah From Boca — Episode Title: Fear Builds Encampments. Love Builds Community; Our Choice Encampment or Community?

I originally planned to give this teaching in light of what’s happening here in the United States—the immigration raids, ICE deportations of undocumented individuals, and the protests that have erupted in response, some of which turned chaotic and violent. I wanted to bring Torah into that conversation, to explore how we, as Jewish-Americans, think about “outsiders,” borders, and the kind of society we want to build as a minority ourselves.

But then, everything shifted. Israel struck Iran. Suddenly, our attention turned to questions of national security, survival, and strength.

In this episode, I share a teaching that pivots from these headlines to a deeper Torah conversation: What’s the difference between an encampment and a congregation? Between a people bound by fear and one bound by destiny? Drawing on Rabbi Joseph Soloveitchik’s powerful insight and this week’s parashah, I reflect on the kind of communities we’re building—both here and in Israel—and what our sacred tradition asks of us when the world feels unstable.

This episode is about more than headlines. It’s about what it means to be a sacred people in an uncertain world.

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Welcome to this week's Torah from Boca from Tel Aviv!

In this special episode, I’m recording from Eretz Yisrael, the Land of Israel. I had the privilege of joining a fellowship with rabbinical students from across denominations—Reform, Conservative, Orthodox, and non-denominational—as part of an immersive experience that brings future Jewish leaders into dialogue with Israeli society, its challenges, and its soul.

While in Tel Aviv, I sat down with my friend and colleague, Rabbi Leor Sinai—a fellow dreamer, educator, and passionate Zionist—for a deep and wide-ranging conversation. We spoke about what Zionism means today, especially in the wake of October 7; the power of Jewish peoplehood; the spiritual return we're witnessing in our communities; and what it means to love our people fiercely—even when we disagree.

We also talk Torah, of course—this week’s parashah, Bamidbar, and how every Jew is like a letter in the scroll of our people—indispensable and holy.

So whether you're in Boca, Jerusalem, or somewhere in between, join us as we unpack this moment in Jewish history—raw, real, and filled with purpose.

You can read more about my mission with the Sinai Temple Israel Fellows here

Click Here For the Video on Rabbi Leor Sinai's YouTube Channel

Ever faced an invitation you didn't know if you should accept? This week on Torah from Boca, I reveal a decision I've never shared publicly—turning down a meeting with Vice President Mike Pence during the first Trump administration. I had a good reason: it was my son's siddur ceremony (when he received his first prayer book) at his school.

But what if that meeting hadn't conflicted with my son's special day? Honestly, this podcast isn't really about that meeting, but it's about all the meetings we may have with people with whom we disagree with, or that our friends disagree with.

It is about a question I explore the Torah's teachings on how we should treat those we strongly disagree with, discussing whether rabbis—and all of us—should engage privately with controversial and even dangerous individuals. Join me in wrestling with one of Judaism’s toughest ethical questions: Can we truly love our neighbor—even when it's hard?

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In this episode of Torah from Boca, I share a story I love—a hilarious (and surprisingly deep) tale of a silent debate between a pope and a Jew named Moishe. It's funny, yes—but like so many Jewish jokes, there’s truth beneath the humor.

Watching the world await the white smoke of the papal election, I felt something stir in me. Not jealousy, but what Bishop Krister Stendahl once called sacred envy—the ability to admire another religion’s spiritual beauty without wanting to imitate it.

But then I turned to this week’s Torah portion, Acharei Mot-Kedoshim, and was reminded of how Judaism offers something radical and powerful: the democratization of holiness. We don’t have a pope. We don’t wait for one person in a robe to bring us close to God. The Torah teaches that each of us—yes, even those with broken Hebrew or bad Latin—can live lives of holiness through our actions.

Join me as I reflect on what this parashah teaches us about leadership, holiness, and the sacred challenge of showing up fully—no titles required.

Why do I keep kosher? Why do any of us?

Why do I keep kosher—and why don’t so many Jews today?

In this episode of Torah from Boca, I share a story that says so much about modern Jewish life: a congregant once emailed me outraged that BaconFest was scheduled for Yom Kippur… because he wanted to go. It’s a funny moment—but also a real one.

We live in a culture that prizes indulgence and immediate satisfaction. Kashrut offers something radical in response: a spiritual discipline of restraint. In Parashat Shemini, we revisit the kosher laws—not as relics of the past, but as an invitation to a more mindful, ethical, and holy way of living.

I reflect on what happens when “because I said so” is God’s reason—and why that might be enough. We explore Adam and Eve’s vegetarianism, Noah’s concessions, the concept of basar ta’avah (meat of craving), and how what we consume shapes not just our bodies, but our souls.

This is a deep dive into kashrut—not as a diet, but as a daily practice of connection.

🎙️ Listen, reflect, and share if it speaks to you.

Check out my website: www.rabbidavidbaum.com for more Torah From Boca

Over the past few weeks, we’ve seen college campuses across the country erupt with cries for “liberation.” The word is everywhere—but I’ve been asking myself: Liberation toward what? And according to whom?

In this episode of Torah from Boca, I’m sharing a sermon I gave on the 7th Day of Passover—one of our tradition’s most powerful moments of liberation. But in Judaism, liberation is never the end of the story. True freedom only begins when we receive revelation. Without moral grounding, “liberation” can turn into something dangerous—even destructive.

Drawing from Torah, the voices of the rabbis, and what’s happening right now on campuses like Columbia, I explore what it really means to be free—and why Jewish liberation must always be tied to covenant, values, and the sacred responsibilities that come with freedom.

If you’ve felt unsettled, confused, or even heartbroken by what you’re seeing unfold around us—this episode is for you.

Join me as we ask: Who are we serving when we cry out for freedom?