תָּנוּ רַבָּנַן: אֵין עוֹמְדִין לְהִתְפַּלֵּל לֹא מִתּוֹךְ עַצְבוּת, וְלֹא מִתּוֹךְ עַצְלוּת, וְלֹא מִתּוֹךְ שְׂחוֹק, וְלֹא מִתּוֹךְ שִׂיחָה, וְלֹא מִתּוֹךְ קַלּוּת רֹאשׁ, וְלֹא מִתּוֹךְ דְּבָרִים בְּטֵלִים, אֶלָּא מִתּוֹךְ שִׂמְחָה שֶׁל מִצְוָה. וְכֵן לֹא יִפָּטֵר אָדָם מֵחֲבֵרוֹ לֹא מִתּוֹךְ שִׂיחָה, וְלֹא מִתּוֹךְ שְׂחוֹק, וְלֹא מִתּוֹךְ קַלּוּת רֹאשׁ, וְלֹא מִתּוֹךְ דְּבָרִים בְּטֵלִים, אֶלָּא מִתּוֹךְ דְּבַר הֲלָכָה. שֶׁכֵּן מָצִינוּ בַּנְּבִיאִים הָרִאשׁוֹנִים, שֶׁסִּייְּמוּ דִּבְרֵיהֶם בְּדִבְרֵי שֶׁבַח וְתַנְחוּמִים. וְכֵן תְּנָא מָרִי בַּר בְּרֵיהּ דְּרַב הוּנָא בְּרֵיהּ דְּרַבִּי יִרְמְיָה בַּר אַבָּא: אַל יִפָּטֵר אָדָם מֵחֲבֵירוֹ אֶלָּא מִתּוֹךְ דְּבַר הֲלָכָה, שֶׁמִּתּוֹךְ כָּךְ זוֹכְרֵהוּ.
kOur Sages taught: One should not stand and pray while immersed in sorrow, or idleness, or laughter, or chatter, or frivolity, or idle talk, but only with the sheer joy of performing a mitzvah.
Similarly, a person before taking leave of his fellow should not part with ordinary conversation, or joking, or frivolity, or idle talk, but with some matter of halakhah.
As we found in the early prophets, that they would conclude their talks with words of praise and consolation.
Not just our sages taught, but so did Mari the grandson of R. Huna, the son of Rav Jeremiah ben Abba teach: “Before taking leave of his fellow a man should always part with a matter of halakhah, so that he should remember him.”
- Why might the rabbis suggest we depart with a matter of halakhah as opposed to a blessing or well wish? Or praise and consolation like the prophets?
From ‘Hayom Yom’ by Menachem Mendel Schneerson
Our sages said: "One should not take leave of his friend other than with a parting word of Torah-law, a d'var halacha.” Our Holy Rebbes, explained thus: ‘The parting word should be the kind of Torah-teaching that transforms the listener into a mehaleich, a traveler, one who journeys. "Journeying" hiluch, means to rise and grow from level to level, with one ascent after another. Such progression embodies the superiority of the human soul over the angels….
Our sages said: "One should not take leave of his friend other than with a parting word of Torah-law, a d'var halacha.” Our Holy Rebbes, explained thus: ‘The parting word should be the kind of Torah-teaching that transforms the listener into a mehaleich, a traveler, one who journeys. "Journeying" hiluch, means to rise and grow from level to level, with one ascent after another. Such progression embodies the superiority of the human soul over the angels….