רַבָּן שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן גַּמְלִיאֵל אוֹמֵר, עַל שְׁלשָׁה דְבָרִים הָעוֹלָם עוֹמֵד: עַל הַדִּין,וְעַל הָאֱמֶת, וְעַל הַשָּׁלוֹם,
שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (זכריה ח) אֱמֶת וּמִשְׁפַּט שָׁלוֹם שִׁפְטוּ בְּשַׁעֲרֵיכֶם (אבות א:יח):
A Significant Peace
Last week we saw that Rashba”g presents din and emet as two of the three values that sustain the world. The third value is shalom. Though we value and strive for justice and truth, it is critical that we also sustain and foster shalom. A world that values only truth and justice is not sustainable.1
The Torah places shalom at the climax of Birkat Kohanim.2 Chazal followed suit with “all of our tefillot” (including Shemoneh Esrei, bentching and kaddish).3 Shas Mishnayot4 also concludes with shalom, which it celebrates as the vessel that encompasses and facilitates berachah.
Chazal teach us that shalom is equal in significance to the entire creation and the combined significance of all that exists;5 “without it, we have nothing.”6
Shalom is important to both man and God. Obviously, it is important for man who needs peace in order to survive, thrive and build society. Interestingly, Hashem values shalom as well. He chose it as one of His names and gave us the Torah only once we were at peace with one another.7 Chazal go even further in asserting that when we live in peace with each other (even if we are idol worshippers) Hashem “cannot” (!) cause us to be defeated in war.8
To restore peace between husband and wife, Hashem mandated that a sotah drink miracle water which clarifies her fidelity.9 To show the importance of the goal, Hashem commanded that we erase His name as part of the process.10 The same result could have been achieved without this erasure; by including it, Hashem taught us how much He values and we should value shalom.11
Pursuing Peace
Rebbe Yehudah12 learned from the sotah precedent that shalom is also something we should actively pursue. Sefer Tehillim encourages us to “seek” and “pursue” peace.13 This is significant because many mitzvot are situational. If we happen upon eggs under a mother bird, we send away the mother before taking the eggs. If we choose to build a house, we put a mezuzah on it. Shalom, though, is something we are meant to proactively seek out.14
Earlier on in Avot’s first Perek,15 Hillel identifies Aharon HaKohen as the one we should emulate as a model of how to love and pursue peace. Aharon worked tirelessly to restore peace between spouses and between friends. He would help them appreciate each other and realize that the other appreciated them as well.16 Understandably, when Aharon died, the whole Jewish people deeply mourned his loss.17
The pursuit of peace is so important that we do so even at the expense of other significant values. In order to generate peace, Chazal instituted our using the word shalom as a friendly greeting to one another despite it being Hashem’s holy name.18
Though one of the world’s pillars, even emet may and should sometimes be sacrificed for the shalom sake. Chazal derived this from the fact that Hashem lied to Avraham (about Sarah’s reaction to the news of her upcoming pregnancy) and Yosef’s brothers lied to him (about Yaakov’s commandment that he forgive them) in order to sustain peace.19
This is also why Beit Shammai and Beit Hillel married “across party lines” despite their disagreements concerning issues of marital status. Though both groups firmly believed in the truth of their respective opinions, they avoided separating from one another. The Gemara20 explains that their actions fulfilled the pasuk21 “ha’emet v’ha’shalom ahavu,” They loved emet, but they loved shalom as well. We should learn from them not to allow our commitment to truth to keep us from living in peace with one another as one people.
Higher Peace
The Akeidat Yitzchak22 and Rav Kook23 explain that shalom includes more than just the absence of hostility. The fullest (and truly meaningful) sense of the word includes people not just living in peace with one another, but also appreciating and working together with them. As opposed to the word “peace,” which derives from the Roman word “pax” and is related to the word “appeasement,” the Hebrew word “shalom,” like the related word “shalem,” means whole or complete. “Shalom” describes a situation where the whole Jewish people (and the whole world) live and work together as part of a complete, whole creation.
Rav Kook applies this to the goals described by Shimon HaTzadik at the beginning of Avot’s first perek.24 He explains that those involved in gemilut chasadim and those involved in avodah should appreciate one another’s endeavors. Additionally, both of them should respect and work with the theorists — those involved in the learning of Torah. In this way, Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel’s statement at the end of the perek relates back to Shimon HaTzadik’s earlier one.
Two Pieces
Emet and shalom are both important. The Mishna concludes by quoting the pasuk from Zechariah25 which teaches that both need to be part of our judicial system. This is why our system includes both din and pesharah (compromise). In fact, Rav Yehoshua Ben Karcha learns from the same pasuk in Zechariah that pesharah should always be the preferred option.26 Though we value truth, we prefer reaching a decision that will foster peace.
May we learn from our Mishna to prioritize peace in our personal lives and national spheres!
Rabbi Reuven Taragin is the dean of overseas students at Yeshivat HaKotel.
1 Derech Eretz Zuta, Perek Shalom. Masechet Derech Eretz Zuta has a whole perek (Perek HaShalom) devoted to the greatness of shalom; each of the different Amoraim there begin with the line, “Gadol hu hashalom.”
2 Bamidbar 6:26.
3 Derech Eretz Zuta, Perek Shalom.
4 Mishnayot Masechet Uktzin 3:12.
5 Sifrei, Parshat Naso, Piska 42.
6 Sifra, Bechukotai 1.
7 Derech Eretz Zuta, Perek Shalom. See this source which describes how Hashem makes peace amongst the angels.
8 Bereishit Rabbah 38:6. See also Bamidbar Rabbah 19:2 and Chinuch 241.
9 Bamidbar 5.
10 Mesechet Chulin 144a. See also Nedarim 66b, Chinuch 365, Avudraham Birkat HaMitvah, and Yechaveh Da’at Yoreh Dei’ah 8:32, and Orot 26.
11 The Maharal (Netivot Olam, Netiv Ha’Shalom 1) explains that Hashem allows his name to be erased in case of a sotah because it generates shalom. As “shalom” is Hashem’s name, His name is actually being created, not (only) destroyed.
12 Mesechet Nedarim 66b.
13 Tehillim 34:15.
14 Kallah Rabbati 3, Derech Eretz Zuta, Perek Shalom.
15 Mishnayot Masechet Avot 1:12.
16 Avot D’Rebbe Natan 12:3, Mesechet Kallah 3. This seems to be the meaning of the phrase “hava’at shalom” used by the first mishneh in Mesechet Pei’ah. See Tiferet Yisrael (Yachin) there who explains that this refers to ‘bringing’ peace even in a situatiin where the two arguing are uninterested.
17 Bamidbar 20:29 and Rashi et al.
18 Mishnayot Masechet Brachot 9:5 and Rashi et al.
19 Yevamot 65b and Derech Eretz Rabbah, Perek HaShalom.
20 Mesechet Yevamot 14b. See the gemara there which provides more detail about how they balanced the two competing values.
21 Zecharia 8:19.
22 Akeidat Yitzchak Bamidbar, Shaar 74.
23 Orot HaTeshuva, Maamar “Shalom B’shem.”
24 Mishnayot Masechet Avot 1:2.
25 Zecharyah 8:16.
26 Mesechet Sanhedrin 6a.
