There is one final, deepest way in which we can interpret the Torah. This level is shrouded in so much mystery and mystical lore that we refer to it as "sod" or secret.
The process of gematria is said to be part of the divine revelation in which the words of Torah, as the very word of God, are capable of being understood in these complex ways.
The secrets are Hebrew language the Hebrew aleph- assigned to it; from way to taf = 400. the numerical value up the number letters in that word. interpretating and have the same called gematria.
contained in the itself. Every letter in bet has a number aleph = 1 all the You can determine of a word by adding values of all the The method of equating words that number values is
These four methods - p'shat, remez, d'rash and sod - have traditionally been referred to by an acronym combining their first letters PaRDeS, which means orchard or garden.
How appropriate is it that when we sing "Etz Hayim Hi" we are referring to the Torah as a "Tree of Life for all those who grasp of its [fruit] and fruit trees are found in an orchard or pardes.
And the fig is likened to the Torah because every part of it can be eaten just the way every level of interpretation from p'shat to sod can nourish our souls.
After you have finished reading the parsha, answering and discussing the study questions and reviewing the relevant commentary, it is time to consider what your d'var Torah will be about. The term, d'var Torah, means literally a word of Torah. This is where we begin to organize our thoughts based on a topic that the parsha covers. When writing your d'var Torah it is not necessary to cover every topic raised in the text. It is important, however, to go over several topics in advance in order to decide which one is the one that relates to what you have to say. Basically, the idea of "a word of Torah" is to pick something from the Torah and to expand upon it and in the end teach someone something.
Outline for Writing a D'Var Torah
The first step is to decide what is the point you wish to make - your thesis statement - and to present this thesis statement as part of your opening introduction. It can be anything you like; a story, a fact, a quote or perhaps a wise saying; something to catch the people's attention.
Now you need to highlight the part of your Torah portion that has to do with your thought. Your highlight may be telling of an incident in the Torah or a sentence or even a single word. Which part of the Torah has influenced your thinking? Be sure to mention the chapter and verse as a reference.
Be sure to bring in a little research into your discussion; a comment or two made by others pertaining to your topic. It is important to give them credit for their thoughts so mention them by name when you quote them, eg. Rashi, Rambam, Leibowitz, etc. Why are their comments meaningful to you?
At this point your opinion weighs in. Do you agree or disagree with what the Torah says or with the commentator(s)' comments? Why or why not?
And finally, tie it all in to relate to our world at large. Have you made your point? Will the congregation learn something from you (and the Torah) today?
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Practical Points for Submitting Your D'Var Torah
It is not necessary, when writing your d'var Torah, to retell or summarize the entire Torah portion. Reference only that part of the Torah that directly relates to the point you are making. If retelling an incident in the Torah be sure to keep it brief and to the point.
Your speech should be no longer than three to five minutes long.
Typed copy should be about one and one half pages, double spaced using Century Gothic with font size 11 and one inch margins all around.
Once your d'var Torah is approved, you will then create a "Bima" copy. This is a much larger copy designed to facilitate reading publically. This copy will be half inch margins all around, triple spaced using Century Gothic with font size 26. You may think this is huge but you will soon appreciate how much easier it is to read from this, and still be able to look up occasionally and not lose your place.