Parshas Vayera: Dabru Davar and Reading a Newspaper on Shabbas

Dear HalachaBoy, Can I read a newspaper on Shabbas? Every newspaper is filled with advertisements and business articles, and it is practically impossible to go through a paper without letting one of these catch your eyes. [Editor's note: A newspaper, itself, on Shabbas might be muktza for other reasons and thus prohibited to read or even move, but this article assumes those issues aren't present] We know that not only are there 39 Melachos on Shabbas, but there is also the concept of things not being "shabbish-dick." This idea is learnt from Yeshaya HaNavi and included in it is the prohibition of talking about items that you would only talk about during the week (i.e. driving a car, dealing in business). This prohibition is known as Dabru Davar. There is machlokes in the Rishonim as to why this prohibition exists. According to some Rishonim, talking about your weekly business is a violation of Kavod Shabbas. However, other Rishonim learn that the Rabbis prohibited talking about business because talking about a prohibited melacha will lead to violating the actual melacha. The Rambam brings down this Halacha, that it is forbidden to talk about business and weekly matters, however he mentions that only talking is forbidden yet thinking about such items are permissible. Rav Yaakov Emden, discusses this question of reading a newspaper on Shabbas and permits it because it is for pleasure, however if it is for business (the Wall St Journal or an ad) it is assur. Further, the Mishna Brura brings down that is assur to read the business section of the newspaper on Shabbas. But why is it assur? Isn't reading just thinking and the Rambam already told us only talking is prohibited but thinking is permitted? Rav Yisroel Reisman wanted to answer this based on the two understands we mentioned earlier. If the reason talking about weekly matters is prohibited is due to its lack of Kavod Shabbas, so too reading something on Shabbas shows a lack of Kavod Shabbas. And if you learn the other way, you are forced to say that reading is more parallel with talking than thinking and thus forbidden. When thinking, no one has any indication of what is going through your mind. However, when reading, not only can other people see what you are doing, but reading is actually a mode of communication just like talking. Thus, even if you learn that talking about business is prohibited because it will lead to violating the actual melacha, the same could be said for reading. For just as one is influenced by others through words of speech, so too is one influence from words of the pen. To conclude, reading a paper for enjoyment is allowed, however to read the business section and advertisements is a violation of Dabru Davar and thus should be avoided. Harav Nissan Karelitz writes on this subject: "While a ben Torah and his family should avoid reading a newspaper on Shabbos altogether, we do not object to those who are lenient and read the permissible parts of the newspaper. This is especially true with regard to women, children and those who do not engage in the study of Torah [who require a kosher alternative so that they will not come to engage in idle or forbidden talk or worse]; we definitely should not object to their reading the permissible parts of the newspaper."