Torah Scholars Increase Shalom in the World
Since it is the nature of Torah to be elucidated from seventy various vantage points, I would like to propose a noble idea regarding the choice of HKB”H to name His royal residence Yerushalayim. It is well-known that all positive influences emanate from Yerushalayim. This is taught in the Midrash Shochar Tov (Tehillim 14, 7):
“If only He would grant from Tziyon Yisrael’s salvation!” Rabbi Levi said: All the Berachos, consolations and benefits (favor) that HKB”H bestows upon Yisrael come from Tziyon. The Torah comes from Tziyon, as it says (Yeshayah 2, 3): “For Torah will come forth from Tziyon.” Berachah comes from Tziyon, as it says (Tehillim 134, 3): “Hashem will bless you from Tziyon” . . . Life comes from Tziyon, as it says (ibid. 133, 3): “For there Hashem has commanded the berachah; may there be life forever!”
This explains very nicely why a special berachah of “shalom” was instituted in relation to Yerushalayim (Tefilas Arvis): "הפורש סוכת שלום עלינו ועל כל עמו ישראל ועל ירושלים"—Who spreads a shelter of shalom over us and over his entire nation of Yisrael and over Yerushalayim. Now, we have learned in the Mishnah (Oktzin 3, 12): "אמר רבי שמעון בן חלפתא, לא מצא הקב"ה כלי מחזיק ברכה לישראל אלא השלום, שנאמר ה' עוז לעמו יתן ה' יברך את עמו בשלום". Rabbi Shimon bar Chalafta said: HKB”H did not find a vessel better suited for preserving berachah for Yisrael than shalom, as it states (Tehillim 29, 11): “Hashem will give His nation strength; Hashem will bless His nation with shalom.” Thus, we learn that without shalom, it serves no purpose to extend abundant berachah from Yerushalayim, since the vessel to hold and preserve the berachah would be missing. Therefore, a special berachah endowing Yerushalayim with berachah was instituted.
Now, if all the bounty of berachah requires a vessel capable of preserving it—i.e., shalom—this applies all the more so to the Torah that emanates from Yerushalayim. In the words of the navi (Yeshayah 2, 3): "כי מציון תצא תורה ודבר ה' מירושלים"—for Torah will come forth from Tziyon and the word of Hashem from Yerushalayim. In other words, shalom is necessary to preserve the berachah of the Torah, as the wisest of all men teaches us (Mishlei 3, 17): "דרכיה דרכי נועם וכל נתיבותיה שלום"—her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are shalom.
We find that this was also a necessary prerequisite for Matan Torah. As the Midrash teaches (V.R. 9, 9): "גדול השלום שבכל המסעות כתיב ויסעו ויחנו, נוסעים במחלוקת וחונים במחלוקת, כיון שבאו כולם לפני הר סיני נעשו כולם חנייה אחת, הדא הוא דכתיב ויחן שם ישראל, ויחנו שם בני ישראל אין כתיב כאן, אלא ויחן שם ישראל". Great is shalom, for regarding all the journeys (in the midbar), it is written: “And they journeyed, and they camped” (both in the plural)—they journeyed with dissension, and they camped with dissension. But when they all arrived at Har Sinai, they all became a single encampment. This is indicated by that which is written (Shemos 19, 2): “Yisrael camped (in the singular) there.” “Bnei
