On World Peace

From “Compassion for Humanity in the Jewish Tradition”

The world reflects the original intent of the Creator only when there is peace among all creatures (Midrash: Bamidbar Rabbah 21:1).

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When the Messiah is revealed to Israel, the first thing he will do is establish peace. Thus, it is written: “How welcome upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger who announces peace” (Isaiah 52:7). (Baraisa: Derech Eretz Zuta, Perek HaShalom).

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Rav Safra, after completing his formal prayers, used to say: “May it be Your will, 0 Lord, our God, to make peace among the Supernal Family and the Lower Family, as well as among the disciples who engage in [the study of] Your Torah (Talmud: Berakhos 16b 17a).

Commentary: “The Supernal Family.” The assembly of angels who preside over the nations of the world. When there is a dispute among the presiding angels in the supernal realm, there immediately ensues a dispute among the nations. Thus, [the angel told the Prophet Daniel], “And now I shall return to engage in battle with the angel of Persia” (Daniel 10:20). “The Lower Family”—the assembly of the wise (Rashi, ad loc.).

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“And Jacob said to them, ‘My brothers, where are you from?’ “ (Genesis 29:4). From here we learn that a person should always include himself with others and address them as “brothers” and “friends.” He should hasten to greet them with greetings of peace. Then the angels of peace and mercy will treat him in similar fashion from above (Midrash HaGadol on Bereshis 29:4).

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Great is peace, for with peace the Holy One, blessed be He, will announce the Redemption of Israel, and with peace He will console Jerusalem (Midrash: Devarim Rabbah 5:15).

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See how beloved is peace: when the Holy One, blessed be He, wished to bless Israel, He could not find a vessel great enough to contain their blessings except for peace (Midrash: Devarim Rabbah 5:15).

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See how great is the power of peace: the Holy One, blessed be He, instructed [Israel] even to address their enemies first with words of peace (Midrash Tanchumah, Shoftim 18).

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“Seek peace and pursue it” (Psalms 34:15). That is, seek peace in its place; pursue it when it is elsewhere (Jerusalem Talmud: Pe’ah 1:1).

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In the world’s present state, it is permissible to flatter the wicked for the sake of peace (Midrash: Yalkut Shimoni, Vayishlach 133).

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The stones [of the Holy Temple] neither see nor hear, nor do they speak; but, since they make peace between Israel and their Father in Heaven, the Holy One, blessed be He, forbid striking them with iron implements. A person who makes peace between a husband and wife, one family and another, one city and another, one country and another, how much more should he be protected from all harm (Baraisa: Toras Kohanim, Kedoshim 20).

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The purpose of the entire Torah is to establish peace, as it is written, “Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace” (Talmud: Gittin 59b, citing Proverbs 3:17).

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We must provide livelihood for the non Jewish poor as well as for the Jewish poor; we must visit non Jews when they are sick as well as our fellow Jews when they are sick; and we must attend to the burial of their dead as well as the burial of our own dead; for these are the ways of peace (Talmud: Gittin 61a).

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Elijah the Prophet [the harbinger of the Messiah] will not come to distance people or to draw them closer, but to make peace between them (Mishnah: Eidiyus 8:7).

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Hillel used to say: Be of the disciples of Aaron—love peace and pursue peace, love all creatures and bring them near to the Torah (Mishnah: Avos 1:12).

Midrash: If a person “loves peace and pursues peace” and restores peace, the Holy One, blessed be He, will grant him life in this world and in the World to Come (Baraisa: Derech Eretz Zuta 9, Perek HaShalom).

Commentary: The term “creatures” instead of “people” implies that Aaron would even reach out to individuals whose only redeeming virtue was the fact that God created them (Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, Likutey Sichos, Kedoshim 5727 / 1967).

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One who repudiates peace, repudiates the Divine name (Zohar III, 176b).

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People might say, “Here is food, here is drink,” but if there is no peace, all else is worthless. The verse states, “And I have given peace to the land” (Leviticus 26:6). This teaches us that peace is equivalent to everything (Baraisa: Toras Kohanim, Bechukosai 1:1).

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[The Torah forbids Jews to cultivate the land of Israel during the Sabbatical Year.] It is permissible to encourage non Jews [engaged in such labors] during the Sabbatical Year, but not Jews. Moreover, it is proper to offer them greetings in order to promote peace (Talmud: Gittin 61a).

Commentary: The Talmud explains that it is forbidden to actually assist them in their labors, but one may encourage them verbally For instance, if one sees non Jews at work in the fields, one may say to them, “May God give you strength,” or “May you be successful,” etc., since they do not transgress in performing such labors. One may offer them greetings on their holidays, even if they are associated with idolatry. One may even greet them with God’s name, as the rabbis state, for “Peace” (Shalom) is one of God’s names (Rabbi Menachem Meiri, ad loc.).

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A person should always seek peace with his brothers, relatives, and all men, including gentiles in the marketplace, in order that he may be beloved above, well liked below, and acceptable to his fellow creatures. It was said of Rabbi Yochanan Ben Zakkai that no one ever preceded him in offering greetings of peace, even a non Jew in the marketplace (Talmud: Berachos 17a).

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Our Sages taught: One’s mind should always be imbued with fear of God, his speech should be soft, turning away anger, and he should promote peace—with his father, his mother, his teacher, his comrade, and also with the non Jew in the marketplace—that he may be beloved above and well liked below. Thus, he will be favorably received by all creatures, and all his days will be filled with good (Midrash: Tanna D’vei Eliyahu Zuta 1:1).

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Concerning non Jews, our Sages commanded us to visit their sick, to bury their dead, just as we bury the dead of the Jewish people, and to provide them with livelihood, just as we provide our fellow Jews with livelihood; for these are the ways of peace (Gittin 61a). Thus, the verse states: “God is good to all, and His mercies are upon all His works” (Psalms 145:9). And [of the Torah] it states: “Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are of peace” (Proverbs 3:17). (Maimonides, Mishneh Torah, Laws of Kings 10:12).

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Rabbi Yosef Saragossi, the teacher of Rabbi David Ibn Zimra, was devoted to making peace between men, between husbands and wives, and even between non Jews. Therefore, he merited that the soul of the Prophet Elijah appeared before him [to initiate him into the mysteries of the Torah] (Rabbi Elazar Azkari, Sefer Chareidim 8).

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To the extent that there is peace in the world, mankind can be brought to serve God with one accord. Because of the peace that exists between people, they are able to enter into dialogue with one another and together think about the purpose of the world and its vanities. They can discuss the truth with one anotherthat ultimately nothing will remain of a person but the preparations he makes for the Eternal World. “Nothing accompanies a man neither silver nor gold nor precious gems nor pearls, but only Torah and good deeds” (Avos 6:9). By realizing this, each person will cast away his false gods of silver and turn to the Creator, His Torah, and Divine service; he will bring himself to the truth. However, when there is no peace, God forbid, or, worse, when there is actual strife, people cannot get together and discuss the ultimate purpose of life. Even when, on occasion, they do meet and talk to one another, [if someone speaks the truth] his words are not heard due to the climate of jealousy, conflict, spite, and disdain. Aggression and the desire to win arguments cannot bear the truth. Thus, the main thing that keeps most people far from the Creator is strife, which has become widespread because of our many sins. May God have mercy upon us (Rebbe Nachman of Breslov, Likutey Eitzos, Shalom 4; also see Likutey Moharan 1:27).

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“God is good for everything, and His mercies are upon all His works” (Psalms 145:9).

Commentary: “God is good for everything.”‘ This alludes to prayer. A person who believes in God knows that He is “good for everything”—healing, sustenance, or whatever one needs. Therefore, he will direct his efforts primarily toward God (i.e., through prayer) and not be taken up with various strategies. One who doesn’t believe in God, however, will pursue all sorts of mundane solutions to his problems. For example, if such a person becomes sick, he will pursue all sorts of medical treatments. The herbs required may not be available locally, or the local varieties may be of inferior quality. However, “God is good for everything.” No matter from which ailment one needs to be healed, God is always available.

Prayer leads to universal peace. Thus, the verse concludes, “And His mercies are upon all His works.” [When people turn to God as the ultimate power,] Divine mercy will be drawn forth to all creatures. Consequently, all creatures will have mercy upon one another, and there will be peace among them. As it is written, “And the wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid. . . . They shall not harm or destroy” (Isaiah 11:6, 9), for there will be peace between them. Thus, “His mercies are upon all His works.” [In other words, God will instill mercy in the hearts of all creatures, and they will treat each other accordingly.] As our Sages teach, “Whoever shows mercy to God’s creatures is granted mercy from Heaven” (Shabbos 151b). [This is borne out by] the scriptural verse, “And [God] will give you mercy, and He will have mercy upon you” (Deuteronomy 13:18) (Rebbe Nachman of Breslov, Likutey Moharan 1, 14: 11, abridged. The verse from Psalms is usually rendered, “God is good to all.” However, Rebbe Nachman interprets it as translated here.)

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“Behold, for peace I had great bitterness” (Isaiah 38:17). Just as all cures require bitter remedies, so does peace, which is a cure for everything. [As the Prophet Isaiah also states,] “Peace, peace to the far and near, says God, and I will heal him” (Isaiah 57:19) (Rebbe Nachman of Breslov, Likutey Moharan I, 27:7).

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On the subject of wars between nations and needless bloodshed, [Rebbe Nachman] said: “Many foolish beliefs that people once held, such as forms of idol worship that demanded childsacrifice, etc., have disappeared. But, as of yet, the foolish belief in the pursuit of war has not disappeared.” He used to ridicule certain scientists, saying: “What great thinkers they must be, what ingenuity they must possess to invent amazing weapons that can kill thousands of people at once! is there any greater foolishness than this to murder so many people for nothing?” (Chayei Moharan 546).

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Rebbe Nachman of Breslov predicted, “The Messiah will conquer the world without a shot being fired” (Siach Sarfei Kodesh 11, 1:67).

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We have added an additional teaching that was not included in “Compassion for Humanity in the Jewish Tradition,” but has been newly translated for this website:

The whole world is filled with quarreling—between nations, between cities, and between households. Neighbors argue with neighbors, husbands argue with their wives, their children and domestic helpers, and on and on. Nobody thinks about the ultimate goal of life. Every day man dies—because the day that has passed will never come back, and every day one comes closer to death. Therefore, how can he waste his time on arguments? Anyone who has any sense should take this to heart and develop patience. Let him not waste his life on quarrels, great or small. He should control his feelings and his anger, and live peacefully with everyone (Rebbe Nachman, as presented in Likutey Eitzos, Machlokes u-Merivah, 36; this is a variant of Sichos HaRan 77. Cf. the posting “The World is Full of Strife” below).