The purpose of a dvar Torah is to inspire the people you
are trying to reach to feel a connection to the Torah, and
to use this inspiration to become a better person and to
come closer to G-d.
1. Before you begin, have the end in mind.
Ask yourself:- What really excites me about the text?
What do I find most interesting?- Who is my audience?
What is the best style to reach them?- What would I like my listeners or readers to
understand?- What are the practical things we can learn from
the text and use in our lives?2. Read the entire Torah portion several times.
Ask yourself:>What part do I find most intriguing?>What bothers me?>What don't I understand?>What doesn't seem to make sense?>What seems to leave unanswered questions?>What lessons can we take from the text?3. Read through the text again, along with your
favorite commentary.- Did the commentary give any answers to your
questions?- Did the commentary raise any new questions that
interest you?4. Choose which aspect of the text you want to
make your focus.5. Read other commentaries to find out what they
have to say.- Do they agree? Disagree? Add a new perspective?
- Do they answer any of your questions?
Raise any new questions?- Is there something in the commentaries you'd rather
make your focus? You may not use everything you learn from the commentaries, but the extra learning will deepen your own understanding of the text.6. Use a story or parable to illustrate your point.
Add a story or two from real life or rabbinic sources to illustrate your point. The story can either make thequestion stronger or begin to answer the problem.7. Be brief. Focus on one point.
- Introduce your point in the beginning.
Summarize it at the end.- Be sure any thoughts, stories or commentaries
strengthen your point. If they are interesting but don't connect to your focus, save them for another time.8. Make it relevant.
- Of what relevance is the text to us this week?
- What is the equivalent challenge to us in our own lives,
in this time? - Is there anything from the current events of the week
in your community, world news, or your own experience you can use to illustrate the lessons that the text has for us?- What are the practical, everyday things we can do
to fulfill the lesson of the text?9. Summarize and re-state your main point.
This is what you want your audience to remember.10. Give a blessing to your audience that relates to
the lesson of the text.Conclude with a brief prayer that the lesson of the text will help us prepare ourselves and the world for the realization of the perfection of the world.Below is a brief outline of a Dvar Torah:
1. Give the verse that will be discussed.
2. Ask a question or state the problem raised in the text.
3. Give some answers from different commentaries.
4. Give your personal preference from the commentaries
& why it satisfies you. 5. Add a story or parable to illustrate your point.
6. Discuss the relevance of the text to our time and
circumstances.7. Give practical things to do in daily life to fulfill the lesson
of the text.8. Summarize and re-state the main point.
9. Give a blessing related to the focus of the text.
Adapted from: "How to Prepare a D'rashah" by Rabbi Daniel Pressman
Congregation Beth David, 19700 Prospect Road,
P.O.B. 3464, Saratoga, CA 95070-1464
(408) 257-3333. FAX: (408) 257-3338. E-mail: pressman@beth-david.org
