The Power of Holy Chatter

Another aspect of Shabbos is what we call farbrengen—spending time together, chatting about nothing in particular. As we will see, this is yet another opportunity to imbue holiness into our children.

In the Torah, there are a number of expressions related to speech. There's דיבור, there is אמירה, and there is שיחה. The expression of שיחה refers to chatter... when people engage in chatter simply so as not to sit in awkward silence. Chazal (Avodah Zarah 19b) tell us that even שיחת חכמים תלמידי של חולין, the idle chatter of talmidei chachamim, must be learned and analyzed, for even their chatter contains words of wisdom and yiras Shamayim.