Leviticus Rabbah 9:8-9 8. ...This is the law of the burnt-offering,’ of the meal-offering, and of the sin-offering, and of ​ the guilt-offering, and of the consecration-offering, and of the sacrifice of peace-offerings (Lev. VII, 37). Why are ’peace-offerings’ mentioned last? —Because there are many kinds of them. Rabbi Simon says: Assorted dessert always comes last. Why?—Because it consists of many kinds of things. So, too, why are peace-offerings mentioned last? —Because they are subject to a variety of treatments, in that the blood and the emurim are given to the altar, the breast and ​ the thigh to the priests, the skin and the rest of the flesh to the owners. Rabbi Simon said: Only he who is at peace (shalem) may offer up peace-offerings (shelamim), but a mourner ​ ​ may not bring a peace-offering.

9. Rabbi Simeon b. Yohai said: Great is peace, since all blessings are comprised therein, as it is written, The Lord will give strength unto His people; the Lord will bless His people with ​ peace (Ps. XXIX, 11). ​ Hezekiah said two things: Hezekiah said: Great is peace, for in connection with all other precepts it is written, If thou ​ meet, etc. (Ex. XXIII, 4), If thou see (ib. 5), If there chance (Deut. XXII, 6), which implies: If ​ ​ a precept comes to your hand, you are bound to perform it, but if not, you are not bound to perform it. In this case, however, [it says], Seek peace, and pursue it (Ps. XXXIV, 15), ​ [meaning], seek it for thine own place and follow it to another place. Hezekiah said another thing: Great is peace, for with regard to all the journeyings it is written, And the children of Israel journeyed [plural]... and encamped—-plural (Num. ​ ​ ​ ​ XXXIII, 5 et passim), [the plural number implying that] they journeyed in dissension, and ​ ​ they encamped in dissension. When, however, they all came before Mount Sinai, they all became one encampment. This is indicated by what is written, And there Israel encamped ​ ​ [sing.] before the mount (Ex. XIX, 2). It is written here not 'And the children of Israel encamped‘, [plural], but ’ Israel encamped [sing.]. Said the Holy One, blessed be He: 'This is ​ the hour at which I am giving the to My children.’

Bar Kappara said three things: said: Great is peace, for the Scriptures reported in the Torah a prevarication which was used in order to maintain peace between Abraham and Sarah. This is proved by what is written, And Sarah laughed within herself, saying:... and my master is old (Gen. ​ XVIII, 12); but [when He repeated this] to Abraham, He said: [Sarah said]: And I am old (ib. ​ ​ ​ 13). Bar Kappara said another thing: Great is peace, for in the Prophets, too, did Scripture report a prevarication which was used for the purpose of maintaining peace between husband and wife, as it is said, And the angel of the Lord appeared unto the woman, and said unto her: ​ Behold now, thou art barren, and hast not borne; but thou shalt conceive, and bear a son

-1- (Judg. XIII, 3). When he spoke to Manoah, the angel did not say thus, but: Of all that I said ​ unto the woman let her beware (ib. 13) —For all that, she needs medicinal drugs. ​ ​ ​ Bar Kappara said yet another thing: Great is peace. If celestial beings among who there is neither jealousy, nor hatred, nor rivalry, nor strife, nor lawsuits, nor dissension, nor the evil eye, have need, nevertheless, of peace, as it is written, He maketh peace in His high places ​ (Job XXV, 3), how much more so then do earthly beings, among whom all those dispositions exist, [have need of peace].

Rabbi Simeon b. Gamaliel said: Great is peace, since the Scriptures have reported an untrue statement in the Torah, the purpose of which was to maintain peace between Joseph and his brethren, as it is written, And they sent a message to Joseph, saying: Thy father did command ​ before He died, saying: So shall ye say unto Joseph: Forgive I pray thee now, the transgression of the servants of the God of thy father (Gen. L, 16 f.), though we do not find that Jacob had thus charged them.

Rabbi Jose the Galilean said: Great is peace, since even in a time of war one should begin with peace, as it is written, When thou drawest nigh unto a city to fight against it, then ​ proclaim peace unto it (Deut. XX, 10). ​

Rabbi Judan b. Rabbi Jose said: Great is peace, seeing that the Holy One, blessed be He, is called Peace, as it says, And he called Him Lord, Peace! (Judg. II, 24). Rabbi Tanhum b. ​ ​ Judan said: From this we derive the rule that a person may not offer his fellow the greeting 'Peace' in a place of filth.

Rabbi Ishmael taught: Great is peace, for even of the Great Name, written though it be in sanctity, did the Holy One, blessed be He, say that it may be blotted out in water, for the purpose of making peace between husband and wife.

Rabbi Meir used to deliver discourses on Sabbath evenings. There was a woman there in the habit of listening to him. Once the discourse lasted a long time, and she waited until the exposition was concluded. She went home and found that the candle had gone out. Her husband asked her: ‘Where have you been?’ She answered: ‘I was sitting listening to the voice of the preacher.’ Said he to her: ‘I swear I will not let you enter here until you go and spit in the face of the preacher.’ She stayed away one week, a second, and a third. Said her neighbours to her: ‘Are you still angry one with the other? Let us come with you to the discourse.’ As soon as saw them, he saw by means of the Holy Spirit [what had happened], and said: ' Is there a woman among you clever at whispering a charm over an eye?' The woman's neighbours said to her: 'If you go and spit in his eye you will release your husband [from his vow].’ When she sat down before him she became afraid of him, and said to him: ‘Rabbi, I am not expert at whispering an invocation over an eye.’ Said he to her: ‘For all that, spit in my face seven times, and I will be cured.’ She did so, and he said to her: ' Go tell your husband: You told me to do it once, and I spat seven times.’ Said his disciples to

-2- him: ‘Should people thus abuse the Torah? Could you not have told one of us to whisper an invocation for you? ' Said he to them: ' Is it not good enough for Rabbi Meir to be like unto his Creator?’—for Rabbi Ishmael has taught: Great is peace, since even of the Great Name, written though it be in sanctity, the Holy One, blessed be He, has said: ‘Let it be blotted out in water for the purpose of making peace between husband and wife.’ Rabbi Simeon b. Halafta said: Great is peace, for when the Holy One, blessed be He, created His universe, he made peace between the upper and the lower [parts of the creation]. On the first day He created part of the upper regions and the lower ones, as it says, In the beginning ​ God created the heavens and the earth (Gen. I, 1). On the second day, He created some of the upper portions of the universe, as it is written, And God said: Let there be a firmament (ib. 6). ​ On the third day He created some of the lower created things, [as it is written], Let the waters ​ under the heaven be gathered together.... Let the earth put forth grass, etc. (ib. 9 ff.). On the ​ fourth day [He created] some of the upper objects, [as it is said], Let there be lights in the ​ firmament of the heavens (ib. 14). On the fifth day He created some of the lower objects, as it is said, And God said: Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures (ib. 20). On the ​ sixth day, when He came to create man, He said: If I create man as one of the upper elements of the universe, the upper elements will outnumber the lower by one created object, and if I create him as one of the lower created objects, the lower will outnumber the upper by one created object.’ What did He do? He created man as of the upper as well as of the lower beings; this is proved by what is written: Then the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ​ ​ ground (ib. II, 7), i.e. out of the lower parts of creation; And he breathed into his nostrils the ​ breath of life (ib.), i.e. out of the upper spheres. ​

Rabbi Mani of Sheab, and Rabbi Joshua of Siknin said in the name of Rabbi Levi: Great is peace, for all benedictions and prayers conclude with [an invocation for] peace. In the case of the reading of shema’, one concludes with: ' Blessed art Thou, O Lord, who spreadest the ​ ​ tabernacle of peace’; in the case of the tefillah, one concludes, ' Blessed art Thou, O Lord, ​ ​ who makest peace’; in the case of the Priestly Benediction, one concludes, And give thee peace (Num. VI, 26). I know [from the foregoing] only that it applies to benedictions; whence do we know that this was so also in connection with sacrifices? —[It is said], This is the law ​ of the burnt-offering, of the meal-offering, and of the sin-offering, and of the guilt-offering, and of the consecration-offering, and of the sacrifice of the peace-offering (Lev. VII, 37). I know [from the foregoing] that this is so in [the passage where Scripture gives] the summary [of all the sacrifices]. How do I know that it is so also [when the Torah speaks of the sacrifices] in detail? —It is said, This is the law of the burnt-offering, etc. (ib. VI, 2 ff.); And ​ ​ this is the law of the meal-offering, etc. (ib. 7 ff.); This is the law of the sin-offering (ib. 18 ​ ff.); And this is the law of the guilt-offering (ib. VII, 1 ff.); And this is the law of the sacrifice ​ ​ of peace-offerings (ib. 11 ff.). Now I know that this is so in the case of sacrifices offered by individuals; whence do I know that it is so also in the case of sacrifices brought by the congregation? —Scripture teaches us this by saying [at the end of a chapter on communal sacrifices], These ye shall offer unto the Lord in your appointed seasons, beside your vows, ​ and your free-will offerings, whether they be your burnt-offerings, or your meal-offerings, or

-3- your drink-offerings, or your peace-offerings (Num. XXIX, 39). Now I know [that peace is the climax of all things] in this world; whence do I know that it is to be so in the World to Come? —It is said, Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river (Isa. LXVI, 12). ​ ​

The Rabbis said: Great is peace, seeing that when the Messianic king is to come, he will commence with peace, as it is said, How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the ​ messenger of good tidings, that announce peace (ib. LII, 7). ​

-4-