A darshan (Hebrew: דַּרְשָׁן) or baal darshan (Hebrew: בַּעַל־דַּרְשָׁן) is a Jewish scriptural interpreter.
Since the Middle Ages, it has referred to a professional sermonizer more broadly.
[1][2] The title was given to Abtalion and Shemaiah in the 1st century BCE.
[3] Since the 1990s, some branches of Liberal Judaism have ordained lay leaders and chaplains as darshanim.
[citation needed] Today, the term is sometimes used for whoever delivers a sermon at a service, whether they are ordained or a layperson.