The Nature of Peace
Written together with Aron Wander, a student in The 91快播 Rabbinical School.
The description of peace and prosperity in this week鈥檚 Torah portion seems particularly fitting for our current situation.
Lev. 26 begins by stating that 鈥淚f you walk in My statutes and keep My commandments and do them . . . the Land will give her produce [v. 4] . . . you shall eat your bread until you have enough and you shall dwell in your land safely [v.5]. And I will give peace (shalom) in the Land [v. 6] . . . and you will eat old grain long stored and you will have to clear out the old to make room for the new [v. 10].
What is the nature of this peace (shalom) that God is promising? As it turns out, several textual difficulties in the passage, and the commentators鈥 ensuing efforts to explain them, offer us a complex and powerful lens through which to reconceptualize 鈥減eace.鈥
Rashi, (R. Shelomo Yitzhaki, France, 1040鈥1105) commenting on the verse, states:
Perhaps you will say 鈥淗ere is food, and here is drink, but if there is no peace, there is nothing.鈥 In answer, the verse says, after all this 鈥淚 will give peace in the Land.鈥 Here we see that peace is as weighty as everything else combined.
It is left to the commentaries of the following generations (and to us) to read the Torah text very closely in order to find textual support for Rashi鈥檚 interpretation and expand upon his lesson.
Our analysis will be based on the responses of six commentaries and supercommentaries (the more than 200 commentaries dedicated to elucidating, defending, and taking issue with Rashi鈥檚 comments). They will all be responding explicitly or implicitly to our question concerning the nature of the peace that God gives for obeying commandments. This study will provide us with the opportunity to enter the world of Rashi鈥檚 supercommentaries.
In the eyes of the Mizrahi (R. Eliyahu Mizrahi, 1455鈥1526, Constantinople), Rashi鈥檚 reading is based on the strange order of the verses. Since the promises begin with agricultural rewards (v. 5), mention peace (vv. 6鈥9), and return to agriculture (v. 10), we can infer that peace is equivalent to the promises of plenty that precede and follow it.
The Mizrahi, therefore, concludes that the text is not really out of order because peace is integral to and actually a feature of plenty鈥攆or without peace, what鈥檚 the value of the blessing of plenty?! It is this apparent interruption that prompts the reader to consider the significance of peace during times of plenty.
The Gur Aryeh (The Maharal, R. Judah Loew ben Betzalel, 1520鈥1609, Prague) agrees that Rashi鈥檚 assertion is based on the strange order of the verses. 鈥淧eace is also [considered] a blessing of plenty,鈥 he writes, 鈥渇or if there is plenty and one cannot eat in peace [i.e. with peace of mind (menuhah)] then the plenty is not worth anything.鈥 Whereas the Mizrahi employs an objective standard鈥攖he absence of war鈥攖he Gur Aryeh understands peace subjectively as a lack of anxiety.
Divrei David (R. David Halevi Segal, 1586鈥1667, Ukraine, Poland) offers a creative explanation for the order of the verses. According to him, Rashi believes that 鈥淚 will give peace鈥 serves as a response to an implied question rather than just as another one in a list of blessings. In other words, God anticipated that as God was enumerating the agricultural blessings, the Israelites would begin asking themselves, Will there be peace enough for me to enjoy these promises? and would be distracted and consequently unable to focus on God鈥檚 words. God, therefore, offers a brief aside鈥Don鈥檛 worry, you鈥檒l have peace!鈥攖o ensure that the Israelites continue to pay attention. In addition to apprising them of the blessing of literal peace, God is granting the listeners peace of mind. Not the emotional peace of mind of Gur Aryeh, but rather an intellectual peace of mind.
Other commentators focus on the verse鈥檚 redundancy rather than its placement. Or Hahayyim (R. Hayyim ben Attar, 1696鈥1743, Morocco, Jerusalem) asks, 鈥淲hy did the Torah have to mention this [I will give peace in the Land] after having already stated 鈥榶ou shall dwell safely鈥 (v.5)鈥? He offers two possible interpretations. 鈥淧erhaps it [peace in the Land] is referring to the people of [the Land of] Israel themselves, [meaning] that there would be no discord among them, that God would plant within them peace and friendship.鈥 According to this interpretation, 鈥渄welling safely in your land鈥 (v. 5) means protection from external threats and worse, while 鈥済iving peace in your land鈥 (v.6) means freedom from internal strife and discord among fellow inhabitants of the land.
He offers a second interpretation whereby a distinction can be made between local peace and world peace. Local peace is not enough, unless complemented by world peace since 鈥渢hose dwelling safely will also be frightened by the sound of war and that鈥檚 why [the phrase] 鈥榓nd I will give peace in the Land鈥 concludes 鈥榓nd you will lie down and none will make you afraid.鈥欌
According to Abarbanel (R. (Don) Isaac Abarbanel, 1473鈥1508, Portugal, Spain, Italy), the repetition is a response to the fact that an unequal harvest often engenders conflict:
The text states 鈥淚 will give peace in the Land鈥 meaning He will give peace among them [the inhabitants].鈥 Ephraim will not be jealous of Judah鈥榮 [prosperity] and Judah will not begrudge Ephraim, so much so that even in the fields and the vineyards 鈥渢hey will lie down and not be afraid.鈥
Abarbanel鈥檚 explanation of the redundancy is similar to Or Hahayyim鈥檚 first interpretation that 鈥淚 will give peace in the Land鈥 means that there will be peace among the people of the Land but he expands upon it based upon his understanding of human nature: in times of plenty, increased income will often be cause enough for discord and jealousy among the people of the Land. Therefore, a special blessing for peace and harmony during times of prosperity is required. This seems paradoxical or counterintuitive at first glance. But Abarbanel reminds us that prosperity produces challenges of its own. If people do not begrudge their neighbors鈥 success, then peace will ensue.
Finally, Be鈥檈r Basadeh (R. Meir Binyamin Menahem Danon,18th鈥19th century, Sarajevo) notes both the redundancy of the verse as well as its choice of words. According to him, if 鈥減eace鈥 were meant to be taken literally, God would have promised to grant peace 鈥溾榓mong you鈥 or 鈥榖etween you and your enemies鈥 rather than 鈥榩eace in the Land.鈥欌 Rather, it means that the land and air and waters of a land must be good in order to provide the people with the health necessary to enjoy its yield. Health plays the role that internal and external safety do for Or Hahayyim.
This is an entirely different take on Rashi鈥檚 comment 鈥渋f there is no peace (shalom), there is nothing.鈥 Without the peace (shalom) of good health, all wealth is worthless; partaking of the blessings of plenty becomes meaningless, perhaps even impossible.
To review, the following explanations for the phrase 鈥淚 will give peace鈥 were offered:
- Local peace;
- world peace;
- peace and harmony among neighbors/countrymen;
- emotional peace of mind;
- intellectual peace of mind;
- economic peace鈥攁 lack of jealousy and strife during times of prosperity;
- health鈥攑hysical peace resulting from healthy air, water, and climate.
Ultimately, these interpretations perhaps raise more questions than they resolve. But they do give us the opportunity to consider the nature of peace in our own lives. Our sense is that peace may mean different things to us鈥攁t different times.
The publication and distribution of the 91快播 Commentary are made possible by a generous grant from Rita Dee (锄鈥漧) and Harold Hassenfeld (锄鈥漧).
