Talking Politics on Shabbos

Question #61: Regarding what many people are used to doing, even the most stringent of them, when they meet on Shabbat after leaving shul and tell each other rumors regarding the kings and the princes and the extent of the wars etc., etc. - Is there a reason for concern regarding a prohibition or not?

You shall not kindle a fire in all your dwelling places on Shabbat (Ex. 35:3) The word "fire" here is an allusion to the destructive fire engendered by strife and anger. One needs to be careful not to allow oneself to become angry so that the fire of that hatred should not consume one. The "fire" is an allusion to the fire of purgatory that one would suffer from as a result.

(13) If you refrain from trampling the sabbath, From pursuing your affairs on My holy day; If you call the sabbath “delight,” Hashem’s holy day “honored”; And if you honor it and go not your ways Nor look to your affairs, nor speak words— (14) Then you can seek Hashem's favor. I will set you astride the heights of the earth, And let you enjoy the heritage of your father Jacob— For Hashem's mouth has spoken.

The Rabbis derived from the words “and you honor it” that your dress on Shabbat should not be like your dress during the week, as Rabbi Yoḥanan would refer to his clothing as my honor, indicating that appropriate clothing is a form of deference. The words “going your own way” mean that your walking on Shabbat should not be like your walking during the week. “From attending to your affairs” means it is prohibited to deal with your weekday affairs and to speak about them on Shabbat. However, affairs of Heaven, i.e., those pertaining to mitzvot, are permitted. “And speaking idle words”

means that your speech on Shabbat should not be like your speech during the week, i.e., one should not discuss his weekday affairs on Shabbat. However, it is only speech that they said is prohibited, whereas merely contemplating weekday affairs is permitted.

That your speech on Shabbat should not be like your speech during the week — As it refers to taking, selling, and calculations

That your speech on Shabbat should not be like your speech during the week — The explanation in the pamphlet (Rashi) is "As it refers to taking, selling, and calculations." But this is not how it seems to Rabbeinu Tam because we already derived that from "attending to your affairs."


Rather, Rabbeinu Tam says, as it says in Vayikra Rabba, "The mother of Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai, when she would speak extraneous words on Shabbat, he would say to her: ‘It is Shabbat,’ and she would be silent." Listen—one should not talk on Shabbat in any way whatsoever that is similar to a weekday. And in the Yerushalmi it says, "
with trouble did they [even] allow greeting each other on Shabbat."

That your speech on Shabbat should not be like your speech during the week — Mistakes in weekday speech on Shabbat are very weighty. And it seems that the reason is because Shabbat hints at "Malchut" and "Malchut" has to do with speech. Therefore, mistakes in speech on Shabbat are very weighty and whoever is careful on them has a very great reward. And so it is written, "and speak words. So that you will delight in Hashem." "So you will delight" is attached to "speak words."

Answer: It seems to be the case that we have to be precise in this matter. The Tosafot and also the Ashiri wrote in their commentaries on chapter “these links'' (Shabbat 113b) that it is forbidden to multiply vain conversations on Shabbat, as it is proven by the story of Rashbi’s mother, as it appears in Vayikra Rabba, in which it says that Rashbi had an old mother, who was very talkative. He said to her “Mom, it is Shabbat now!” She therefore became silent. This teaches us that you should not engage so much in talking on Shabbat as on Hol. And in the Talmud Yerushalmi, we say: “they hardly allowed people to greet others on Shabbat”. With this, it is clearly forbidden to engage in too much talking on Shabbat as if it was Hol, even more so (it is forbidden on Shabbat) to speak more than on weekdays.


However, if these same people enjoy themselves through talking and telling stories from the kings and princes and their wars and so on, like the way a lot of people like to do, it seems it is certainly allowed. So is it written in the Sefer Mitzvot Katan, that young people who enjoy running and jumping, they are permitted to do so, as well as anything they might enjoy watching. And we have seen that even though the sages interpreted the verse (Isaiah 58:13): וְכִבַּדְתּוֹ מֵעֲשֹׂת דְּרָכֶיךָ - honor it and not go your ways - do not walk the same way on Shabbat as you do during weekdays (meaning: not run and not jump). Even still, one may enjoy and satisfy one's spirit. The same law applies regarding superfluous speech. This too was derived from the same verse "nor look at your affairs nor speak words", as the Tosafot and the Ashiri explained above.


However, I have seen many times that some of those people that meet to talk about these rumours do not enjoy themselves so much from these rumours, and they do this for the sake of their friends gathered with them (peer pressure), in this case it seems it would be forbidden for those who do not enjoy it.

1. The Laws of Shabbat as it relates to Speech, 22 Seifim:“Ve’daber davar” (teaches us) that one’s manner of speech on Shabbos must not be the same as one’s manner of speech on a weekday. Therefore, it is prohibited to say 'I will do such and such tomorrow' or 'I will purchase this and this merchandise tomorrow'. Even idle talk should be curbed. RAMA: People who enjoy hearing stories or the latest news may speak these things on Shabbos but one who does not enjoy them may not speak them for the sake of giving pleasure to someone else.

And this is the meaning of “and speak words” (Isaiah 58:13), which was said regarding Shabbat. In other words, one has to instill the faculty of speech of this world with the speech of Shabbat, which is the aspect of the World to Come. This is in order to perfect speech in this world. For the perfection of speech comes mainly from the aspect of Shabbat, as our Sages, of blessed memory, taught: Your conversations on Shabbat should not resemble your weekday conversations (Shabbat 113b). Speech is in a state of perfection on Shabbat, because Shabbat is the aspect of the World to Come. One has to then draw the speech of Shabbat into the speech of the week.