Oseh Shalom Our Greatest Wish

The last few sentences of Birkas Hamazon, beginning with yiru es Hashem, informally express ideas about Hashem’s rachamim, our gratitude and trust, and our prayer for peace. They are not part of Birkas Hamazon, strictly speaking. The pasuk of oseh shalom forms the conclusion of the tefillah, as it does in Shemone Esrei.

Our greatest wish is always for peace on us and upon all Israel. In Birkas Hamazon, this sentence takes on a special significance. For as the Midrash explains, “What good is an abundance of food and drink without peace? Therefore, all blessings end with peace.”

Adapted from World of Prayer by Rabbi Elie Munk