Thank you for the riveting lesson on How to write a D’var Torah/sermon. Here are a few follow ups for your convenience:
Homework for Mitzvah students
Create a google doc called “D’var Torah - YOUR NAME” and type up all of your questions about your Torah portion (over 10 big and small questions), start thinking about what your one big question might be. Also write a 1-2 paragraph summary of your entire Torah portion.
Read the back section of your Torah portion booklet called "Highlights from your parashah". Summarize 3 points that the commentators make about your Torah portion that you agree with or that you want to challenge.
Bonus: Start reading commentaries online about your Torah portion. Google your Torah portion’s name and see what you find out and include some other commentaries.
On a separate google doc called “Welcome Speech - YOUR NAME,” describe in 1-2 paragraphs to your families and guests at the Mitzvah ceremony why this day is special for you/why you are having this day…
All of this needs to be prepared and printed out for our next How to Write a D’var Torah class on March 25.
Below is a description of elements of a D’var Torah.
Finally, I have started to create some recordings of the Shabbat morning service. They can be found here:
More recordings will be uploaded in March in the same folder. Those with an asterisk * are the primary ones for you to learn. The others are supplementary and would be good for you to accustom yourselves with so they are more familiar. All pages correspond to the red Siddur Lev Shalem.
Happy learning and Shabbat Shalom!
Rabbi David
Elements of a D’var Torah: NOT NECESSARILY IN THIS ORDER. ***NOT JUST A SUMMARY. MUST HAVE A LESSON/MESSAGE.***
a. Intro
i. “Shabbat Shalom” ii. Trigger: Story, joke, question...GRAB PEOPLE’S ATTENTION iii. Summarize your entire Torah portion iv. Summarize the particular story/passage you will be talking about (Be specific in a few short sentences.)
b. Share your key question(s) and elaborate
c. Answering your question
i. What have previous commentators said about your Torah portion and your key question? 1. Offer different rabbinic answers and expound upon them, why you agree/disagree with 2-3 particular commentators. 2. Offer the answer you like best, and say why
d. Personalize (What does this question I am asking/parashah mean to me?)
i.Tie the ideas to your life and greater society:
1. Tell a story or two about your life that relates. a. Show how you: i. Look at that story based on what you learned from your Torah portion, or ii. Look at the Torah portion based on that story. 2. Explain how the parashah connects to the greater world/a pressing issue. 3. Explain how you will act as a responsible Jewish adult, now that you know the teaching from your Torah portion 4. If your Torah portion ties in with your Mitzvah project, speak about your Mitzvah project
e. Thank people
f. Offer a blessing that expresses your hope that people will live by the lesson/take away/key message
