21 May PRAYING FOR HEAVENLY PEACE

Elokai n’tzor concludes
as we back up three
steps and say a final
petition. “Oseh shalom
bimromav, Hu ya’aseh
shalom aleinu v’al kol
Yisroel, v’imru amein –
He who makes peace in
heaven, may He make
peace amongst us and all of Yisroel, and they
should say amein.” We refer to Hashem as
the One Who makes peace in heaven. The
great Levush, zt”l, zy”a, explains the nature
of this peacemaking. Heaven is made of two
opposing forces, fire and water, and Hashem
makes peace between them creating the entity
called shamayim which is a synthesis of fire
and water (ais and mayim which makes up the
word shomayim). So too we ask Hashem that
in marriages where the partners are sadly in
opposition, fighting with one another, Hashem
should reunify them granting them harmony.
Likewise, brothers and sisters who are at
each other’s necks with sibling rivalry, may
Hashem make peace between them and grant
them familial harmony.
A beautiful example of how heaven is
exclusively a place of peace can be found in a
Gemora in Masechtas Sotah. We are informed
of a fascinating fact. Daily in the desert,
together with the mon, fell women’s cosmetics
because that which beautifies a woman fosters
more love and harmony in the home, which is
a promotion of peace.

On the other hand, we are taught that when
the Bnei Yisroel came out of Mitzrayim, they
left ‘chamushim.’ Rashi interprets chamushim
to mean mizu’yanim, armed with weapons. At
first glance, it’s puzzling why they needed to
shlep weapons. After all, by the Yam Suf, the
Bnei Yisroel didn’t lift a finger against the nine
million Egyptians. Moshe Rabbeinu assured
them, “Hashem yilacheim lachem, v’atem
tacharishun – Hashem will do battle for you
and you will be silent.” If so, why did we
need weapons? It must be that we would use
them 40 years later when we did battle against
the ferocious Sichon and Og. This begs the
question: Why did we have to cart weapons
for 40 years? Let Hashem send down bows
and arrows, spears and slingshots from heaven
40 years later. The answer is that heaven is a
place for peace only. Cosmetics will readily
come down from heaven, but never weapons.
The phrase “Oseh shalom bimromav – He
who makes peace in heaven,” can also refer
to how Hashem masterfully orchestrates the
myriads of celestial stars, planets and suns
that travel on their heavenly orbits without
colliding one into the other. So too, we ask
Hashem that He should navigate us peacefully
as we interact in the workplace, at shul, and in
our homes.
It is interesting to note how the Chasam
Sofer, zt”l, zy”a, interprets this request. He
explains that Hashem ensures peace in the
heavens since the angels have no jealousy, no
lusts, or physical desires. We ask Hashem that

He should help us also, below here on earth,
when we are faced with the constant inner
turmoil between our body pulling us toward
its physical needs and our souls that tug us to
spiritual pursuits. We beseech Hashem that
we should be granted Divine assistance to
reconcile and find inner peace amongst these
warring emotions.
We don’t just pray for ourselves. We add
the phrase “Al kol Yisroel, that there should
be peace for all Yisroel. This request takes
on contemporary urgency as we think of our
brethren facing missiles from the accursed
enemy and for our brave soldiers facing death
and injury at the hands of the wicked Hamas.
We also have in mind our brethren who are
exposed to cruel antisemitism the world
over, especially the many Jewish students on
college campuses whose life of peace has been
shattered by senseless hatred. We beg Hashem
that, just as heaven is a place of solitude, He
should restore peace on earth.
We cap off this request with a very strange
statement: “V’imru amein – And they should
say amein.” This is highly perplexing. Since
we are saying our silent devotion which is
solely between ourselves and Hashem, who
is the ‘they’ that should answer amein? The
Matteh Moshe explains that we are referring
to the angels that surround us at all times.
As it says, “Choneh malach Hashem saviv
l’yarei’av v’yechaltzem – The angel of
Hashem camps around those that fear Him,
and delivers them.” It is to these angels that

we ask them to answer amein to our prayers.
This is not the only time when we address
these angels in our prayers. In our bentching
we say, “Bamarom y’lamdu aleihem v’aleinu
zchus she’tehei l’mishmeres shalom –From
Above (meaning Hashem), find favor for them
and for us, to grant us the protection of peace.”
Who is the ‘for them’ in this request? The
D’var Aron, hy”d, zt”l, zy”a, similarly explains
that in gratitude we are asking this request also
on behalf of the angels that surround us.
In the merit of our studies, may Hashem grant
us the blessing of peace together with long life,
good health and everything wonderful.