Torah From Boca

Why I Turned Down a Meeting with Mike Pence (And Why It Still Haunts Me)

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?
A special thank you to my friend and colleague Rabbi Efrem Goldberg, who inspired this sermon from his meeting with Itimar Ben Gvir, which can be read in its entirety here - https://rabbiefremgoldberg.org/ben-gvir
Click here to read the text version here

Why the Jews Don’t Need a Pope: Lessons from Acharei Mot-Kedoshim

 
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.

You Are What You Eat—and What You Don’t: Keeping Kosher in the Land of Bacon-Wrapped Everything

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

No Liberation Without Revelation: The Crisis of Moral Clarity in the Age of Campus Activism

 
Over the last two years, 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?

What We Talk About When We Don’t Talk: Silence At The Seder

What does a small aleph in the Torah, the silence of a child at the Seder, and your Facebook feed have in common? In this episode, Rabbi Baum explores the power of silence in Jewish tradition—from the quiet humility of Moses to the child who does not know how to ask at Seder, to the challenge of raising thoughtful questions in a noisy world. As Passover approaches, discover how sacred silence might just be the invitation we need to deepen our conversations around the Seder table—and beyond.

We Are Not Boring: The Secret History of Jewish America

🎙 We Are Not Boring: The Secret History of Jewish America
Has anyone here seen The Frisco Kid? A Polish rabbi, played by Gene Wilder, is sent to America in the 1800s—only to find that the joke isn’t on him, but on American Jewry itself. Before the Holocaust, Jewish scholarship and intellectualism thrived in Europe, while American Jews were seen as an afterthought, a punchline.
But here’s the twist: We built something extraordinary. From the earliest Jewish refugees in New Amsterdam to the birth of America’s powerful Jewish institutions, we forged a unique identity—one that too many of us don’t even realize we have.
In this episode, we dive into the secret history of American Jews, the biblical roots of our communal responsibility, and why we are anything but boring.
Thanks to Haviv Rettig Gur and his excellent podcast, Ask Haviv Anything, specifically, the second episode titled, The Lost History of American Jews. 
🔊 Tune in for an eye-opening journey through the story of us.
💡 Enjoy this podcast? Feeling inspired to make a difference? Support our work at Congregation Shaarei Kodesh—donate here. 

Who Lit Your Fire? The Power of Jewish Inspiration

🔥 Who Lit the Flame of Judaism for You? 🔥
Who in your life ignited your Jewish spark? Was it a rabbi, a teacher, or a family member who lived out their Judaism in everyday actions? In this thought-provoking sermon, Rabbi David Baum explores the power of passing the torch—through generations, through mitzvot, and through the light of Torah. Drawing connections between the Olympic torch relay, the eternal flame of the Mishkan, and the hidden light of Purim, Rabbi Baum reminds us that Jewish continuity is a daily commitment, not just a historic event.
Click here to watch 

The Edifice Complex: What Really Matters in a Synagogue

What makes a synagogue truly holy? Is it the grandeur of its architecture—or something much deeper? In this d’var Torah on Parashat Terumah, given at his son’s bar mitzvah, Rabbi David Baum reflects on sacred spaces, personal experiences from the March of the Living, and a surprising insight from his own children. As his son, born and raised at Congregation Shaarei Kodesh, reaches this milestone, Rabbi Baum shares how meaningful it is to celebrate in a warm and loving community. Drawing on the wisdom of Jewish tradition, he explores where God truly dwells—not just in buildings, but in our hearts. Listen to this podcast to discover what really makes a shul a spiritual home! 
Click here to watch the video and read the transcript 
 

Empty Chairs, Broken Hearts: The Torah’s Response to Kidnapping and Loss

Empty Chair, Broken Promises
Click here to read
In this deeply moving episode of Torah from Boca, Rabbi David Baum reflects on a powerful moment from his visit to Israel’s Library of Congress, where empty chairs, each holding a hostage’s favorite book, bear witness to the ongoing tragedy of October 7th.
Through the devastating story of the Bibas family and the Torah’s unflinching condemnation of kidnapping in Parashat Mishpatim, this episode explores how Jewish tradition demands justice, recognizes the long echoes of trauma, and offers a path forward in the face of unimaginable grief.
Join us in an act of witnessing—because in Jewish tradition, to bear witness is not passive. It is a call to action, to memory, and to hope.

Tefillin: Our Symbols of Survival and Hope

In honor of World Wide Wrap - a program through the Conservative movement's Federation of Jewish Men's Club that synagogues across the world will be hosting (as well as our congregation, Shaarei Kodesh - www.shaareikodesh.org), I'm posting a sermon I gave in 2019 on Yom Kippur about tefillin titled, Tefillin: Failure and the Marks We Make. 
 
Here's an excerpt: 
 
Whenever I discuss tefillin with bnai mitzvah families, I will often receive this question:  “Can my son or daughter where his deceased grandfather’s or great-grandfather’s tefillin instead of buying him or her a new pair?”  I understand what they are really asking for.  They want their loved one to make an impact, to leave a mark, on their child like their loved one made on them.
 
The truth is, and I am honest with these families, there’s a 95% chance that these old pair of tefillin are no longer kosher.  You can get them checked, but if they aren’t kosher, the sofer will not put them back together again for you.  I tell them,  “I am sure that your grandparent, who is no longer with us, would want your son or daughter to have their own set of tefillin.”
 
I cannot wear my Grandfather’s actual tefillin from that story, they were taken away from him, and they are forever lost.  But my grandfather is here and he taught his son the value of following God’s commandments, God’s mitzvoth, and our tradition, and my father and mother taught me.  I have had a couple of pairs of tefillin in my life, but each pair of tefillin I own are my grandfather’s, and his grandfather’s, and also YOUR grandfather’s.
 
The bayit, the boxes of the tefillin, are made of skin, just like we are; the words inside of the tefillin are written on skin as well.  Tefillin boxes breakdown, the letter on the parchment crack and smudge, eventually, they have to be buried, but if we put them on every day, if we speak the words inside, if we perform the actions, the mitzvoth, the sacred acts that tie us to God, our tefillin will live forever.  These words will be spoken to a new generation who will cherish them, and remember them.  This is how we stay alive - the body dies, but the soul is eternal.
 
Here's a recent post I wrote about Tefillin, thinking back to this story: https://www.rabbidavidbaum.com/post/baum-s-branches-symbols-of-survival-and-hope-parashat-bo