The message of peace – Vayyishlach
The sidra tells of Jacob overcoming a succession of trials and tribulations and at last being reconciled with his brother Esau. Thereafter, says the Torah, “Jacob came shalem to the city of Shechem in the land of Canaan”.
The translators disagree as to how to render shalem in English. One theory is that it is equivalent to b’shalom, “safely, peacefully, without incident” – a pertinent observation since Jacob seems to have been accident-prone. Another view understands the Hebrew literally and renders it “complete” or “whole”.
Each approach is valid; as the rabbis said of the divergent views of Hillel and Shammai, “Both these and these are the words of the living God”. They both tell us something about shalom, peace, but one espouses a negative definition of peace and the other a positive definition.
The negative view sees peace as the absence of war. How, according to this approach, did Jacob reach Shechem? Shalem – without any more quarrels, fights or struggles. He had to be thankful, as we today who have suffered so much from the clash of warfare are thankful for small mercies in that there is no war even though sometimes there is only a poor peace.
But this is not the best of situations to be in. Surely true peace is more than mere absence of war. Surely peace is a positive and not just a negative concept.
The positive content is provided by those who translate shalem as “complete” or “whole”. Its details are pinpointed by the Talmud, which Rashi quotes in his commentary on this verse. Jacob was shalem b’gufo, whole in body; shalem b’mamono, complete in possessions, and shalem b’torato, perfect mentally and spiritually.
He was whole in body, because after wrestling with the angel and being left lame, he was now cured. He was complete in his possessions, because after sending Esau a peace offering of cattle, his remaining animals had borne young and replenished his herds. And he was perfect mentally and spiritually, because in spite of living for nearly twenty years in the house of Laban, he had retained his moral standards and his faith in God and His commandments.
This interpretation teaches us that peace has three aspects, physical, material and mental. For an individual to have peace of mind all three must be assured, as they must if a nation or group of nations is to enjoy peace and harmony.
At any time in history the threefold definition of peace would be pertinent. But now, atter the tragic assassination of Yitzhak Rabin*, it is unbelievably relevant. The peace process which Rabin spearheaded must continue. But on two fronts – within Israel, where there is much healing to be carried out within Israeli society, and externally, where relationships with the Palestinians and the Arab nations need to grow physically, with respect for each other’s territorial and personal security; materially. with concern for each other’s economic well-being; and mentally, with mutual trust and brotherhood.
Yes, peace in the negative sense or absence or outright war is already an achievement, though there are fronts on which even this has not yet been achieved. But a peace process needs positive content too, and we pray we will see realised the prophecy of each person sitting serenely under their vine or figtree.
But even more: Jew and Arab, each under their own vine or figtree, must be able to look at and rejoice in each other as neighbours, brothers and sisters, genuinely concerned for the other’s personal and family well-being.
* This article was first published in December 1995.
