Resources for Preparing a D'var Torah
Compiled by Rabbi Phyllis Sommer

A D'var Torah is a "Word of Torah."

Where to start...how to write...some ideas for formulating your writing...

My key advice: choose ONE topic and hammer it home. Don't muddle things up by trying to accomplish too many thing at once. What do you want your audience to come away with? Choose one topic and make sure that your audience will "get the point!"

http://www.myjewishlearning.com/daily_life/TorahStudy/Dvar_Torah.htm
http://www.kolel.org/torahstory/dvar_home.html
http://www.myjewishlearning.com/daily_life/TorahStudy/Dvar_Torah/7_Approaches_DT.htm
http://www.myjewishlearning.com/daily_life/TorahStudy/Dvar_Torah/Dos_Donts_DT.htm
http://www.nfty.org/resources/rc/writingdvreitorah/

Learning about the Torah portions...

First read through the whole portion. Read the text in a chumash with commentary, so you can glance through the explanations and comments. (I recommend the new Plaut Commentary or Etz Chayim.) Does anything jump out at you? Does any message speak out of the text? Try to focus on one verse or one idea that you can explain or teach about. If not, turn your eyes to the commentaries, the essays in the chumash, or something that someone else wrote about the parasha for inspiration. Perhaps someone else will spark your imagination, your own ideas, and help you to create your own D'var Torah.

http://www.huc.edu/de/sermon/ (An excellent resource, put together for rabbinical students and rabbis)
http://urj.org/torah/ (Extensive archive of brief words on each parasha)

Connect it to something

Now that you know what part of the portion you'd like to speak about, what question you'd like to answer, it's time to make the D'var Torah interesting. Personalize it with a story or example from your own life, or draw in a current event or connect it to your favorite band or whatever works for you! Tamar Fox wrote a brief essay on her blog: "How to Write a D'var Torah that Doesn't Suck." Check that out for inspiration, too.