Rabbi Menachem Penner Focusing on Max and Marion Grill Dean, RIETS Tefilla SIM SHALOM: THE PERFECT PRAYER e end the Amidah — makes peace in His heights.” G-d, the Torah of life, love of kindness, both on weekdays and Masekhet Derekh Eretz, Perek righteousness, blessing, mercy, life and holy days — with a Shalom no. 19 peace. tefillahW for peace. This is in keeping There are, however, multiple reasons Moreover, the closing (and opening) with the tradition of concluding our to question whether Sim Shalom is a berakhot of Shemoneh Esreh — prayers with the hope for shalom: mere request for peace. Retzei, Modim, and Sim Shalom — אמר ר' יהושע דסכנין בשם ר' לוי גדול השלום Indeed, the first half of the berakhah are not supposed to be requests at all! - שכל הברכות והתפלות חותמין בשלום: אמר רב יהודה לעולם אל ישאל אדם צרכיו :asks for more than peace קרית שמע - חותמה בשלום - "ופרוס סוכת לא בג' ראשונות ולא בג' אחרונות - אלא ָ לֹוםשִ ים ׁשטֹוָבה ּובְ ָרָכֵה חָן ו ֶֽחֶסד וְ ַרֲחמִ ים באמצעיות: שלומך". ברכת כהנים - חותמה בשלום ָע ֵֽלינּו וְ ַעָל כל יִשְ ָרֵאַל ע ָברְ ֶֽמָך׃ ֵֽכנּוָ, אבִֽ ינּוֻ, כ ָֽלנּו - שנאמר "וישם לך שלום". וכל הברכות - R’ Yehudah said: A person should not כְ ֶאָחד בְ ָאֹור כִי בְ פֶֽניָך ָאֹור נ פֶֽנָיָךַֽתָת ָֽ לנּו ה' חותמין בשלום - "עושה שלום במרומיו." ask for his needs — not during the first ֱאֹלקינּו ת ַֹורַת חיִים וְ ַֽאֲהַב ֶֽת חֶסד ּוצְ ָדָקה ּובְ ָרָכה Said R’ Yehoshua of Sachnin in the of the Amidah] and not] וְ three blessingַרֲחמִ ים וְ ַחיִים וְ ָ ׁשלֹום׃ name of R’ Levi: All the blessings and during the last three blessings. Instead, he prayers are sealed in peace. The recital Grant peace, goodness, blessing, grace, 1 lovingkindness and mercy to us and should ask during the middle blessings. of Shema ends in peace with “spread Berakhot 34b over us a shelter of peace,”; the priestly unto all Israel, Your people. Bless us, blessing ends in peace, as it says, “and he our Father, all of us as one with the Instead, Sim Shalom is supposed to will place upon you peace”; and all the light of Your face; For by the light of be a blessing of thanks. The Rambam blessings end in peace, as it says “He who Your face, You have given us, L-rd our (Hilkhot Tefillah 1:2) states: 19 Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary • The Benjamin and Rose Berger CJF Torah To-Go Series • Rosh Hashana 5779 Hashanah. Most of the berakhot are ... חיוב מצוה זו ]של תפילה[ כך הוא: שיהא Tefillah Insights: listed as expected. Yet Sim Shalom is אדם מתחנן ומתפלל בכל יום. ומגיד שבחו 4 Zochreinu L’Chaim !nowhere to be found של הקדוש ברוך הוא. ואחר כך שואל צרכיו שהוא צריך להם בבקשה ובתחנה. ואחר כך During the ten days from Rosh סדר ברכות: אומר )1( אבות )2( וגבורות נותן שבח והודיה לה' על הטובה שהשפיע לו HaShanah to Yom Kippur, we )3( וקדשת השם ... )4( קדשת היום – insert the phrase zochreinu ותוקע. )5( זכרונות - ותוקע. )6( שופרות - כל אחד לפי כחו: l’chaim — remember us for life - ותוקע. ואומר )7( עבודה )8( והודאה )This commandment obligates each )9 in the first blessing of the — ...וברכת כהנים person to offer supplication and prayer each day and utter praises of G-d, then The Order of the blessings is as follows: Amidah. In general, we don’t have petition for all his needs with requests (1) Fathers, (2) Might, (3) Sanctity of any requests in the first three and supplications, and finally give praise the Name, (4) Sanctity of the day (and blessings of the Amidah, because and thanks to G-d for the goodness the shofar is blown), (5) Remembrances we must first praise God and then that He has bestowed upon him; each (and the shofar is blown), (6) Shofar ask for our needs. How is it that 2 according to his ability. (and the shofar is blown)… (7) Temple we are permitted to pray for life Thenosei keilim of the Rambam Service, (8) Thanks, and (9) The in the first blessing? Furthermore, struggle to identify the source that the Priestly Blessing. why do we pray for life in the first final three berakhot are expressions The Priestly Blessing refers to the blessing, but in the insertions of thanksgiving. Nonetheless, the three-sentence berakhah recorded in at the end of the Amidah, we Rambam’s opinion is widely accepted. Parshat Naso (Bamidbar 6:22-27): ask for “chaim tovim” — good Sim Shalom, however, doesn’t give the life? R. Meir Simcha of Dvinsk, יברכך ה’ וישמרך; יאר ה’ פניו אליך ויחנך; impression of gratitude. After all, how Meshech Chochma, Devarim 33:2, ישא ה’ פניו ה’ אליך וישם לך שלום. are we thanking G-d by saying Sim answers that zochreinu l’chaim is May the L-rd bless you and keep you. Shalom? Of the three final berakhot, not a request, but rather a praise May the L-rd make His countenance only Modim is an expression of of God. Jewish people, by their shine upon you and be gracious to you. thanks!3 With Sim Shalom, we have nature, praise God. Therefore, May the L-rd lift up His countenance to fallen back on asking Hashem for we request that He provide life, you and give you peace. more! not for our sake, but for His It is one of the most famous berakhot (l’ma’ancha Elokim chaim). We Finally, why are the critical requests in our tradition. But we do not don’t ask for a good life in these in Sim Shalom — so central to our consider it to be one of the blessings blessings, rather we reserve lives — not included in the middle of the Amidah! that for later, because in these section of the Amidah? Are peace, According to the Rambam (Hilkhot blessings, the focus is on God, goodness, and mercy less imperative Temidim uMussafin 6:4), this “Birkat and Jewish people praise God than knowledge, forgiveness, health Kohanim” refers to the berakhah of even in difficult times. and wealth? If anything, the requests Sim Shalom.5 The Gemara Megillah( contained in Sim Shalom are more Torah To Go Editors 18a) already makes a connection fundamental, more impactful than between Birkat Kohanim and Sim anything mentioned in the middle He is peace, as it states, “The Lord will Shalom: section of the Amidah. bless His nation with peace.” ומה ראו לומר שים שלום אחר ברכת כהנים The evidence indicates that Sim Sim Shalom and Birkat Kohanim are - דכתיב ושמו את שמי על בני ישראל ואני Shalom is no unassuming request integrally linked and form a single אברכם. ברכה דהקדוש ברוך הוא - שלום, for peace. Instead, as we shall see, it unit. The Gaon of Vilna spells out the שנאמר ה’ יברך את עמו בשלום. is a fitting culmination of our silent thematic connections between the Why did they institute saying Sim 6 “meditation” with G-d. two: Shalom after Birkat Kohanim? Because שים שלום טוב וברכה ... הם כנגד ששה The Mishnah inRosh Hashanah it states “And they will place My name on ברכות שבברכת כהנים: שלום - כנגד (4:5) lists the nine berakhot that the Jewish people and I will bless them.” “וישם לך שלום”; "טובה" - כנגד יאר ה' ... comprise the Musaf Amidah on Rosh The blessing of the Holy One Blessed be כמ"ש "וירא אלקים את האור כי טוב"...; 20 Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary • The Benjamin and Rose Berger CJF Torah To-Go Series • Rosh Hashana 5779 only during Shacharit, when Birkat Rav Mosheh Lichtenstein (Rosh "ברכה" - כנגד יברך ה'; "חן" - כנגד ויחנך; Kohanim is (at least theoretically) Yeshiva, Yeshivat Har Etzion)7 offers "וחסד" - כנגד וישמרך - כמ"ש )דב' ז:יב( recited. At other times, we recite textual support for Birkat Kohanim to "ושמר לך ... את החסד" - כדי שלא נאבד Shalom Rav, a shorter request for follow the Amidah — rather precede בעונינו...;"ורחמים" - כנגד "ישא ה פניו )peace which does not correspond to its conclusion. The Rambam Hilkhot אליך" - כי הוא נושא עון - וכובש ונושא פנים :the multi-faceted Birkat Kohanim. Tefillah 14:14) states this clearly אלינו... במקדש מברכין ברכת כהנים פעם אחת Sim shalom tova u’veracha” corresponds Due to the concern that a kohen“ ביום - אחר תמיד של שחר... אבל במדינה to the six berakhot contained in Birkat might have consumed an alcoholic - מברכין אותה אחר כל תפלה - חוץ Kohanim: “Shalom” corresponds to “and drink, Birkat Kohanim is not recited ממנחה.... give you peace.”; “Tova” corresponds to later in the day (Taanit 26a). The only exception is a fast day. On a , “may the L-rd shine His countenance taanit In the Temple, the priests recite the kohanim can recite upon you” — as it is written: “And G-d Birkat Kohanim priestly blessing once a day: After the until sundown. Therefore, Sim Shalom saw the light and that it was good.” …; Morning offering…. But outside of the is recited as well. “uVeracha” corresponds to “may the L-rd Temple, the blessing is said after every bless you.”; “Chen” corresponds to “and be This clarification — that Sim Shalom tefillah [Shacharit, Mussaf and Neilah] gracious to you.”; “Chesed” corresponds is coupled with Birkat Kohanim — except for Minchah. to “And he should guard you,” as it says — requires further examination. A similar idea, claims Rav “to keep for you … the kindness,” in Everything about Birkat Kohanim order that we will not be lost through our Lichtenstein, is expressed by the indicates that the priestly blessing Behag (at the end of his commentary sins…; “veRachamim” corresponds to, should be offeredafter the Shemoneh “may Hashem lift up His face unto you” to Berakhot, chapter 5).