D’var Torah
/ˌdɑːvɑːr ˈtɔːrə/noun
A short sermon or teaching about a passage from the Torah, usually delivered in a Jewish religious setting.
Did you know?In Hebrew, d’var can mean both “word” and “matter,” suggesting that speech is not merely sound but something with substance and consequence.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Semitic
Proto-Semitic
*d-b-r
“A root associated with speech, words, and matters or affairs”
Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew
דָּבָר (davar)
“Word, statement, matter, or affair”
Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew
דְּבַר (d’var)
“Construct form meaning “word of” or “matter of””
Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew
תּוֹרָה (torah)
“Instruction, teaching, or law; traditionally the five books of Moses”
Medieval Hebrew
Hebrew
דְּבַר תּוֹרָה (d’var Torah)
“A teaching or discourse concerning Torah”
Modern English
English
D’var Torah
“A short Torah-based sermon or teaching, especially in synagogue or educational settings”