Peaceful Existence

רְאֵה כַּמָּה הוּא כֹּחוֹ שֶׁל שָׁלוֹם

Many of the Mitzvos mentioned in Parshas Shoftim are counted among those that were only relevant once Klal Yisroel entered Eretz Yisroel. We learn about the imperative to create a system of Batei Din, as well as the Mitvah to appoint a king. There are also many Pessukim that discuss the way we are to confront the various forms of עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה that we may encounter in the wake of our defeated enemies. In addition, there is a series of Pessukim that speaks about the way in which a war is waged.

The Torah intorduces this set of Pessukim by addressing our mindset when it comes to battle: כִּי־תֵצֵא לַמִּלְחָמָה עַל־אֹיְבֶךָ וְרָאִיתָ סוּס וָרֶכֶב עַם רַב מִמְּךָ לֹא תִירָא מֵהֶם. Our entire approach to warfare must be informed by the knowledge that HKBH is with us, and our fate is not in our own hands. Having established this outlook, the Torah teaches us how an army is raised, including detailed instructions on who does and does not qualify to participate. Here too we see the governing mindset, as the one who is addressing the gathered first says: אַל־יֵרַךְ לְבַבְכֶם אַל־תִּירְאוּ וְאַל־תַּחְפְּזוּ וְאַל־תַּעַרְצוּ מִפְּנֵיהֶם, reminding them not to be afraid for HKBH is fighting for them.

The Torah continues, telling us how the army is to conduct itself once it has been established: כִּי־תִקְרַב אֶל־עִיר לְהִלָּחֵם עָלֶיהָ וְקָרָאתָ אֵלֶיהָ לְשָׁלוֹם. As they approach a city, the army should first announce peaceful intentions. If the inhabitants of the city respond in kind, they are spared and become subservient: וְהָיָה כׇּל הָעָם הַנִּמְצָא בָהּ יִהְיוּ לְךָ לָמַס וַעֲבָדוּךָ. If they do not reply in kind: וְעָשְׂתָה עִמְּךָ מִלְחָמָה וְצַרְתָּ עָלֶיהָ, we are to wage war against them, in which case HKBH will put them into our hands, וְהִכִּיתָ אֶת־כׇּל־זְכוּרָהּ לְפִי־חָרֶב. Rashi points out that these instructions are somewhat counterintuitive: אֲפִלּוּ אַתָּה מוֹצֵא בָהּ מִשִּׁבְעָה אֻמּוֹת שֶׁנִּצְטַוִּיתָ לְהַחֲרִימָם, אַתָּה רַשַּׁאי לְקַיְּמָם. Although we are generally required to eliminate members of the שִּׁבְעָה אֻמּוֹת, the seven nations that inhabited Eretz Yisroel, if they are among the members of the city that accede to our peaceful overtures they may be spared.

Although these Pessukim seem to teach us the Dinim of warfare—when we may or may not engage in true battle—the Medrash here learns an interesting lesson from these worlds.

The Memra begins with the words רְאֵה כַּמָּה הוּא כֹּחוֹ שֶׁל שָׁלוֹם, seemly noting that these Pessukim teach us the awesome power of שָׁלוֹם. The Medrash continues with something of a Mashal: בּוֹא וּרְאֵה בָּשָׂר וָדָם אִם יֵשׁ לוֹ שׂוֹנֵא הוּא מְבַקֵּשׁ וּמְחַזֵּר מַה לַּעֲשׂוֹת לוֹ, if a person has an enemy, he will expend great effort in bringing him harm, including the following scheme: הוֹלֵךְ וּמְכַבֵּד לְאָדָם גָּדוֹל מִמֶּנּוּ שֶׁיַּעֲשֶׂה לְאוֹתוֹ שׂוֹנֵא רָעָה, endearing himself to a more powerful person in the hopes that his enemy will be harmed. The Medrash draws a parallel to HKBH: כָּל עוֹבְדֵי כּוֹכָבִים מַכְעִיסִין אוֹתוֹ וְהֵן יְשֵׁנִים וְכָל הַנְּפָשׁוֹת עוֹלוֹת אֶצְלוֹ, those who serve עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה upset HKBH, but even as their Neshamos are deposited with Hashem each night, בַבֹּקֶר הוּא מַחֲזִיר לְכָל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד נִשְׁמָתוֹ. Even though HKBH has the opportunity each night to keep the Neshamos of the עוֹבְדֵי כּוֹכָבִים, ending their ability to upset HKBH, the Neshamos are returned nonetheless, as the Passuk in Yeshaya says נֹתֵן נְשָׁמָה לָעָם עָלֶיהָ.

How can we explain the words of this Medrash? The introduction to the Memra seems to indicate that we are about to learn an important lesson about the power of שָׁלוֹם —where do we see it? Are we to assume that HKBH returns the Neshamos of עוֹבְדֵי כּוֹכָבִים because of שָׁלוֹם? Who is the opposing side in this metaphorical battle? What שָׁלוֹם exists here?

Further, even if we are to assume that HKBH only returns the Neshamos of עוֹבְדֵי כּוֹכָבִים each morning because of שָׁלוֹם, how does this teach us כֹּחוֹ שֶׁל שָׁלוֹם? If might teach us the importance of שָׁלוֹם, but does it teach us its power? How does the fact that HKBH is willing to give the עוֹבְדֵי כּוֹכָבִים another chance each day an illustration of כֹּחוֹ שֶׁל שָׁלוֹם?

In addition, we must understand how the Medrash relates to the Pessukim. How is the שָׁלוֹם spoken about in the Medrash connected to warfare? Why do Chazal choose to teach us this lesson here specifically?

To properly explain the כֹּחוֹ שֶׁל שָׁלוֹם as expressed by this Medrash, and how it relates to the Pessukim in our Parsha, it is important to understand the meaning and essence of שָׁלוֹם.

In discussing the creation of the מְּאֹרֹת הַגְּדֹלִים, the Torah says: וַיִּתֵּן אֹתָם אֱלֹקים בִּרְקִיעַ הַשָּׁמָיִם לְהָאִיר עַל־הָאָרֶץ. The Medrash, on these words tells us: שְׁלשָׁה דְבָרִים נִתְּנוּ מַתָּנָה לָעוֹלָם, וְאֵלּוּ הֵן: הַתּוֹרָה, וְהַמְאוֹרוֹת, וְהַגְּשָׁמִים. As the word וַיִּתֵּן indicates, the מְּאֹרֹת הַגְּדֹלִים were given to the world as a מַתָּנָה, as were Geshem and the Torah. Later the Medrash brings an additional opinon: רַבִּי עֲזַרְיָה בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי יְהוּדָה בֶּן רַבִּי סִימוֹן אוֹמֵר, אַף הַשָּׁלוֹם. In addition to the other three, R’ Azaryah counts שָּׁלוֹם as having been a מַתָּנָה, as the Passuk in Behaloscha says וְנָתַתִּי שָׁלוֹם בָּאָרֶץ.

On its face, this Medrash is somewhat difficult to understand: the Torah, Gehsem, and the celestial bodies exist in one form or another—had they not been given as a מַתָּנָה, we would not have them. שָׁלוֹם, however, is a state of being—what does it need to be given as a מַתָּנָה? What does this mean?

The Maharal, in Tiferes Yisroel, explains each part of the Medrash, nothing why in fact הַתּוֹרָה, וְהַמְאוֹרוֹת, וְהַגְּשָׁמִים were all given as a מַתָּנָה. When it comes to שָׁלוֹם, the explanation is quite simple: הַשָּׁלוֹם אֵינוֹ מְעַנְיֵן הָעוֹלָם הַזֶּה. In עוֹלָם הַזֶּה, strife is the norm, not the exception, as Maharal puts it: הַכֹּל בְּמַחֲלֹקֶת, וְזֶהוּ עִנְיַן עוֹלָם הַתַּחְתּוֹן. For this reason, שָׁלוֹם can only exist in this world when it is given as a מַתָּנָה—an otherworldly force placed into עוֹלָם הַזֶּה.

This Medrash, and the explanation given by Maharal, call into question the message of our Medrash. Even if the way that HKBH treats the עוֹבְדֵי כּוֹכָבִים, returning their Neshamos to them each day anew, just for them to return to their role of מַכְעִיסִין אוֹתוֹ, what are we meant to learn from this? If, indeed, הַשָּׁלוֹם אֵינוֹ מְעַנְיֵן הָעוֹלָם הַזֶּה, we can only be Zoche to it as a מַתָּנָה, what are we meant to learn from the ways of HKBH? How does the message of the Medrash in Devarim Rabba, רְאֵה כַּמָּה הוּא כֹּחוֹ שֶׁל שָׁלוֹם, merge with the words of the Medrash in Beraishis Rabba, רַבִּי עֲזַרְיָה בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי יְהוּדָה בֶּן רַבִּי סִימוֹן אוֹמֵר, אַף הַשָּׁלוֹם?

There is another set of Medrashim discusses שָׁלוֹם in a way that may inform our discussion.

As we know, בִּרְכַּת כֹּהֲנִים ends with the words וְיָשֵׂם לְךָ שָׁלוֹם, a Bracha that we may be Zoche to the מַתָּנָה of שָׁלוֹם. The Medrash Rabba on these words speaks at length about the virtue, importance and value of שָׁלוֹם in a number of contexts, including the following: גָּדוֹל הוּא הַשָּׁלוֹם שֶׁלֹא בָּרָא הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מִדָּה יָפָה מִן הַשָּׁלוֹם שֶׁנִּתְּנָה לַצַּדִּיקִים. In a sense, this is quite understandable: if שָׁלוֹם is given as a מַתָּנָה, who better to receive it than the Taddikim.

R’ Simcha Zisel Ziv, the Alter of Kelm, in Chachma U’mussar, points out, however, that there is a corresponding Medrash that appears in both Bamidar and Devarim Rabba: חָבִיב הוּא הַשָּׁלוֹם שֶׁלֹא נְתָנוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לָרְשָׁעִים. This, he notes, is difficult to understand: it is one thing to tell us that the greatness of Shalom is seen from the fact that it is given to Tzaddikim, but why does the fact that it is withheld from רְשָׁעִים teach us about its greatness? As R’ Simcha Zissel asks: מִכֵּיוָן שֶׁעִם רְשָׁעִים גַּם מַתָּנָה קְטַנָּה אֵינָם רְאוּיִים לִתֵּן לָהֶם? If they are indeed רְשָׁעִים they should not receive any מַתָּנָה, regardless of its stature—if so, how does the fact that they don’t receive the gift of Shalom teach us about its greatness?

The Alter answers this question by defining the term Shalom in a way that we may not have anticipated.

Rashi, on the Pessukim in Parshas Beraishis that discuss Shabbos, tells us: מֶה הָיָה הָעוֹלָם חָסֵר? מְנוּחָה, בָּאת שַׁבָּת בָּאת מְנוּחָה. When Shabbos came the world was complete other than the fact that there was not yet an existence of מְנוּחָה, and that was the role of Shabbos: בָּאת שַׁבָּת בָּאת מְנוּחָה. This, explains the Alter, teaches us that the epitome of שְׁלֵמוּת is מְנוּחָה —it was only once the world was complete that מְנוּחָה could come into existence. Based on this we can understand that מְנוּחָה is the greatest gift that one can receive as it represents a sense of completion.

This explains the Alter and allows us to understand the concept of שָׁלוֹם because, in truth, שָׁלוֹם הוּא מְנוּחָה—they are one and the same. The sense of peace that one feels when he experiences מְנוּחָה is itself a form of שָׁלוֹם. This is why Shabbos is associated with the term שָׁלוֹם—because it is a day that is defined by מְנוּחָה.

Although the Alter does not express this explicitly, this idea can help us understand why Shabbos is called מַעְיַן עוֹלָם הַבָּא: the feeling of מְנוּחָה that we feel on Shabbos is a reflection of שָׁלוֹם, which is, of course, a taste of עוֹלָם הַבָּא, as Maharal explains.

Based on this, continues R’ Simcha Zissel, we can understand why the Medrash says חָבִיב הוּא הַשָּׁלוֹם שֶׁלֹא נְתָנוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לָרְשָׁעִים. The Medrash is telling us that the רְשָׁעִים can never feel a sense of מְנוּחָה, because they may not be granted שָׁלוֹם and שָׁלוֹם הוּא מְנוּחָה . This itself tells us of the supreme nature of שָׁלוֹם: the רְשָׁעִים are in a constant state of confusion and upheaval, because they may not even taste שָׁלוֹם, signifying that the opposite, the שָׁלוֹם הוּא מְנוּחָה granted to Tzaddikim is the greatest of Brachos.

The words of the Alter can help us clarify not only the meaning of שָׁלוֹם but also the words of Chazal.

The Medrash begins by speaking about a person who has an enemy: אִם יֵשׁ לוֹ שׂוֹנֵא הוּא מְבַקֵּשׁ וּמְחַזֵּר מַה לַּעֲשׂוֹת לוֹ. This person experiences no מְנוּחָה: his entire existence is given to the demise of his enemy, to the detriment of any מְנוּחָה. The Medrash is teaching us how to avoid this behavior: by engaging in שָׁלוֹם.

As the Medrash tells us, HKBH receives the Neshamos of the עוֹבְדֵי כּוֹכָבִים each night, but does not keep them. Rather, בַבֹּקֶר הוּא מַחֲזִיר לְכָל אֶחָד, although they belong to those who are defined as מַכְעִיסִין אוֹתוֹ. We may understand this as an act of וִתּוּר, but it is in fact an expression of מְנוּחָה: in the world of HKBH there is only מְנוּחָה; nothing that a person does in this world can disturb this. Therefore, when HKBH returns those Neshamos each day, it is not despite their disturbance; it is because they have not truly created any disruption: there is only מְנוּחָה.

In this way, we can learn about כֹּחוֹ שֶׁל שָׁלוֹם: true שָׁלוֹם is defined by a sense of מְנוּחָה that overrides any external factors. If a person has an enemy whose existence is all-consuming, he must tap into the מְנוּחָה of עוֹלָם הַבָּא, which is called שָׁלוֹם. If a person understands how the world truly works—that his life is in no way affected by the actions of another—and he emulates the Middos of HKBH, feeling no disturbance at the actions of others, he will be given the gift of שָׁלוֹם and achieve true מְנוּחָה. It emerges that שָׁלוֹם is chiefly internal—to achieve שָׁלוֹם, a person must be at peace with himself, and his role in the world, in which case the actions of others will be completely inconsequential, and he will experience the bliss of שָׁלוֹם הוּא מְנוּחָה.

This is the message of the Medrash, and it can help us understand its connection to the Pessukim as well.

After explaining the proper attitude towards warfare, כִּי ה׳ אֱלֹקֵיכֶם הַהֹלֵךְ עִמָּכֶם לְהִלָּחֵם לָכֶם עִם־אֹיְבֵיכֶם לְהוֹשִׁיעַ אֶתְכֶם, the Torah passes on the logical outcome: the greatest victory is never to fight in the first place.

The Passuk tells us: כִּי־תִקְרַב אֶל־עִיר לְהִלָּחֵם עָלֶיהָ וְקָרָאתָ אֵלֶיהָ לְשָׁלוֹם, if we approach a city with a mindset of מְנוּחָה, understanding that it inhabitants and their forces have no affect on the outcome of war, than we may be Zoche to שָׁלוֹם. If we are in fact able to reach a level of וְקָרָאתָ אֵלֶיהָ לְשָׁלוֹם, then the response we receive will mirror our desires: שָׁלוֹם תַּעַנְךָ וּפָתְחָה לָךְ. In this case, we will take the city without firing a single shot, so to speak, and its inhabitants will become our property.

The message of the Medrash is therefore very much connected to the Pessukim: it is from the ways of HKBH that we learn to achieve true מְנוּחָה, which can allow us to be granted שָׁלוֹם. If we emulate these ways, understanding the role of Hasgachas Hashem and not allowing our enemies, or anyone else, to disturb us, we can have taste of עוֹלָם הַבָּא even as we walk this earth.