Shalom

The world stands on three principles - emes, din and shalom (truth, judgment and peace). Keeping the peace between yourself and others and helping others maintain peace between them are so important that the world would not be able to exist without them. This is why we ask Hashem to grant us peace in the bracha of Sim Shalom, which we say at the end of each Shemonei Esrei.

Shalom starts in the home, with shalom bayis between husband and wife and parents and children, and extends to our communities and to the entire Jewish people. Many of the mitzvos between people - bein adam lechavero - are based on the centrality of peace.

How to Be a Rodef Shalom

The great sage Hillel advised us to be like students of Aharon. Aharon was a rodef shalom, a chaser of peace, and we should be too. How do we accomplish this? What do we do when we have to give up on truth in order to make peace? Does making peace mean we shouldn’t stand up for ourselves? All these questions and more are answered in this presentation.