Parasha Commentary and Sermon
Online Resource Guide

A growing project of the Department of Distance Education
of The Hebrew Union College - Jewish Institute of Religion

 

 

Torah Site Subcategories:
In order to further facilitate your use of this section, we have broken the Torah Sites into the following categories (for the most part, these are self-explanatory):

INSTITUTIONAL and ORGANIZATIONAL SITES
These are sites are run by or represent various institutions and organizations from UAHC to JTS to Bar Ilan University. This sites tend to have large collections and archives typically with drashot on all or almost all of the parshiyot.
INDEPENDENT SITES
These sites are independent organizations and also tend to have large collections.
INDIVIDUAL TORAH COMMENTATOR'S SITES
People who specialize in Torah commentary or education are listed here.
INDIVIDUAL RABBI'S SITES
These are the sites of individual pulpit rabbis.
MAGAZINE and NEWSPAPER SITES
Here you will find drashot from online publications or online versions of print publications.

 

INSTITUTIONAL and ORGANIZATIONAL SITES

Bar Ilan University’s Parashat HaShavuah Archive (large archive)

Masorti (Conservative Movement in Israel) Weekly Commentary (large archive)

Ohr Sameach Torah Weekly Archive (large archive)

Orthodox Union Torah Insights Project – Various Orthodox Rabbis (2 Year Archive)

Chancellor (JTS) Ismar Schorsch’s Parashat HaShavuah (large archive)

Rabbi Shamah of the Sephardic Institute – Weekly Parashat Sermon

Reconstructionist Parasha Divrei Torah (almost a 1 year archive)

Temple Israel’s Weekly Parashat HaShavuah Archive – Reform (2 year archive)

U.A.H.C. – Family Shabbat Table Talk of the Weekly Parashat (large collection)

U.A.H.C. – Torat Hayim – Study of the Weekly Portion (4 year archive)

 


 INDEPENDENT SITES

Hamaayan Parashat w/ Commentators, ed. S. Katz – Independent – (10 yr. archive)

Jewish America – Parashat HaShavuah by Rabbi Black – Independent (small archive)

Parashat Summaries & Commentaries edited F. Toczek – Independent (most parshiot)



INDIVIDUAL TORAH COMMENTATOR'S SITES

Nehama Leibovitz’s Commentaries on Parashat HaShavuah (large archive)

Rabbi Shlomo Riskin’s Parashat HaShavuah – Orthodox(several year archive)

 


INDIVIDUAL RABBI'S SITES

Rabbi Dollin’s Weekly Parashat Sermon – Conservative (approx. 7 sermons)

Rabbi Plotkin’s Weekly Sermons – Conservative – Beth Am (5 year archive)

Rabbi Avi Weiss – Parashat HaShavuah – Orthodox (large archive)

MAGAZINE and NEWSPAPER SITES

Torah from Dixie – Discussion of Parshiot, Holidays, and Current Jewish Issues

Jewish Journal of Los Angeles Archive (Link to Archive with 1 drash per Issue)


INSTITUTION/ORGANIZATION



Bar Ilan University’s Parashat HaShavuah Archive

Web Address: http://www.biu.ac.il/JH/Eparasha/
Description: Features weekly Parashat HaShavuah as well as 3-year archive of drashot written by the University faculty.
Org./Affiliation: Notes:

Bar Ilan University
  • Holiday drashot including: Rosh Hashanah, the Haggim, Yom Ha’Atzmeut, Tisha B’av, Lag B’omer, Sukkot, Hanukah, etc.
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Masorti (Conservative Mov. in Israel) Weekly Commentaries
Web Address: http://www.masorti.org/torah.html
Description: Link above is to the most recent Parashat commentary.  There is a drop down menu on the left to view the commentaries for another parasha.
Org./Affiliation: Notes:

Masorti / Conservative

  
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Ohr Sameach Torah Weekly Archive

Web Address: http://www.ohr.org.il/web/index/tw5761.htm
Description: 7 year archive of Parashat HaShavuah Drashot
Org./Affiliation: Notes:

Independent - traditional

 
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The Orthodox Union Torah Insights Project – 2 Year Archive
Web Address: http://www.ou.org/torah/ti/5759/parshiyot592.htm
Description:

A continuing weekly Parashat site with a 2-year archive. Different Orthodox rabbis write the drashot.
Org./Affiliation: Notes:

Orthodox

  
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Chancellor Ismar Schorsch - JTS - Parashat HaShavuah
Web Address: http://www.learn.jtsa.edu/topics/Parashath/archive.shtml
Description: 8 - year archive of Chancellor Schorsch’s Weekly Parashat commentary.
Org./Affiliation: Notes:

Conservative

  
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Rabbi Shamah of the Sephardic Institute – Weekly Parasha
Web Address: http://www.judaic.org/addtl_files/bible.html
Description: At least one drash on most parshiot.  Also has a Megillat Ester Study Guide, and sermons on Isaiah, Jonah and Psalm 104.
Org./Affiliation: Notes:

Independent

  
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Reconstructionist Divrei Torah

Web Address: http://www.jrf.org/recondt/index.html
Description: Index to almost a complete year of Parashat HaShavuah Divrei Torah.
Org./Affiliation: Notes:

Reconstructionist

  
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Temple Israel Westport Parashat HaShavuah Archive

Web Address: http://tiwestport.org/torahlst.html
Description: 2–3 year archive of Parashat HaShavuah with some additional Holiday drashot.
Org./Affiliation: Notes:

Reform
  • Most drashot are written by members of the congregation
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U.A.H.C. – Family Shabbat Table Talk of the Weekly Parashat
Web Address: http://urj.org/shabbat/
Description: 4 - year Archive ("cycles") of weekly discussions of Parashat for a family dinner table with some text, explanations and questions for further study.
Org./Affiliation: Notes:
Reform  
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U.A.H.C. – Torat Hayim— Study of the Weekly Torah Portion
Web Address: http://urj.org/torah/
Description: Reflections by the leading scholars and educators of the Reform Movement on the Parashat with a 5 - year archive.
Org./Affiliation: Notes:

Reform
  • Plus special Torah reading and holiday drashot
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INDEPENDENT



Hamaayan, The Torah Spring, Archive of Divrei Torah

Web Address: http://www.acoast.com/~sehc/hamaayan/
Description: Shlomo Katz provides an overview of the Parashat and then provides related Rabbinic texts and commentaries.  This is a huge 10-year archive bringing a wide number of traditional Rabbinic perspectives from Talmud and Midrash through 20th Century commentators.
Org./Affiliation: Notes:

Independent - traditional
  • Ignore the note about the links not being available until a week before the Parashat – all seem to be available
  • Great place to see various mepharshim on a Parashat
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Jewish America – Parashat HaShavuah by Rabbi Black
Web Address: http://www.jewishamerica.com/ja/features/aftertho.cfm#index
Description: Rabbi Tzi Black writes commentary on the current torah portion and provides a small archive of his past commentaries.
Org./Affiliation: Notes:

Independent - traditional
  • Rabbi Black does not like labels, but he describes himself as an independent “Torah–True” Jew. 
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Parashat Summaries & various Rabbinic Comments ed. F. Toczek
Web Address: http://www.anshe.org/Parasha.htm
Description: Fred Toczek summarizes the Parashat, and then provides a variety of short comments and interpretations from various Rabbis, whom he calls Gadolei Yisrael.
Org./Affiliation: Notes:

Independent - traditional
  • Page hosted by Anshe Emet, an Orthodox Synagogue but this collection seems independent
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TORAH COMMENTATORS


Nehama Leibovitz’s Commentaries on Parashat HaShavuah

Web Address: http://www.jajz–ed.org.il/torani/nehama/index.html
Description: Online samples of Leibovitz’s famous commentaries on just about every Parashat.
Org./Affiliation: Notes:

Dept.  for Jewish Zionist Ed. –– The Jewish Agency
  • Leibovitz brings a large number of classical commentators while building her own drash
  • Helpful source to see other classical commentators
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Rabbi Shlomo Riskin’s – Parashat HaShavuah Archive

Web Address: http://www.ohrtorahstone.org.il/Parasha/index.htm
Description: 4-year archive of Riskin’s Parashat HaShavuah.
Org./Affiliation: Notes:

Orthodox
  • Rosh Yeshiva at Yeshivat HaMivtar Efrat, Israel
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INDIVIDUAL RABBIS



Rabbi Dollin’s Weekly Sermons

Web Address: http://www.headenver.org/Sermons/sermon_index.htm
Description: Approx. 5 of Rabbi Dollin’s Parashat Sermons.
Org./Affiliation: Notes:

Conservative
  • Rabbi Dollin is the rabbi of the Hebrew Educational Alliance in Denver, CO
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Rabbi Plotkin’s Weekly Sermons – Beth Am

Web Address: http://www.beth-am.org/index2.cfm?page=78
Description: 7-year archive of Parashat HaShavuah Sermons.  Also includes his “Torah Dialogues” that are discussions held with his congregation over questions raised in a particular Parashat.
Org./Affiliation: Notes:

Conservative

  • Also some High Holiday sermons
  • Rabbi Plotkin is the rabbi of Temple Beth Am in Margate, FL
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Rabbi Avi Weiss – Taste of Torah in Honor of Shabbat Archive

Web Address: http://www.hir.org/torah/rabbi/parshiyot58.htm
Description: 3-year archive of Rabbi Weiss’s Parashat HaShavuah Drashot.
Org./Affiliation: Notes:

Orthodox
  • Rabbi Weiss is a well-known liberal modern–Orthodox rabbi involved in women’s issues within Orthodoxy
  • He is the rabbi at the the Hebrew Inst. of Riverdale, NJ
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MAGAZINES/NEWSPAPERS


Torah from Dixie – Discussion of Parshiot, Holidays, & Current Jewish Issues

Web Address: http://www.tfdixie.com/backissues.htm
Description: A large archive of weekly Parashat and holiday articles.
Org./Affiliation: Notes:

Independent
  • Started by two Yeshiva University students
  • Contributions are from Southern Jews, specifically Atlanta
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Jewish Journal of Los Angeles Archive

Web Address: http://www.jewishjournal.com/archive
Description: Each issue has a weekly Parashat commentary written by prominent Los Angeles rabbis of all denominations.
Org./Affiliation: Notes:

Jewish Newspaper-independent
  • Click on the seach button to search for a particular parashah
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We welcome your comments, concerns, and additions to this growing groject.
Please feel free to contact us.