Shalom

Parshas פִּינְחָס starts:

פִּינְחָס בֶּן אֶלְעָזָר בֶּן אַהֲרֹן הַכֹּהֵן הֵשִׁיב אֶת חֲמָתִי מֵעַל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל
בְּקַנְאוֹ אֶת קִנְאָתִי בְּתוֹכָם וְלֹא כִלִּיתִי אֶת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּקִנְאָתִי
לָכֵן אֱמֹר הִנְנִי נֹתֵן לוֹ אֶת בְּרִיתִי שָׁלוֹם

Interestingly Pinchus was chosen to become a Kohen for what he did for Bnei Yisrael in that he killed Zimri and Cuzbi by spearing them publicly while they were sinning. Pinchus is considered the ultimate "Kanai" he was zealous for God's honor. The interesting fact is that he was awarded with
 "בְּרִיתִי שָׁלוֹם" "The Convenant of Peace" Why was he awarded a peace prize for doing something which seems the opposite of peace? He was a warrior and seemingly should have been awarded some warrior honor, anything but "The Convenant of Peace". Moreover, Pinchas, even after he was awarded the "Peace Prize" was further mentioned in the Torah in the next Parsha. In Parshas Matos, Pinchas is mentioned as the "Mashuach Milchama" which basically means the General of the Israelite armies. Even after he was awarded the peace covenant he was drafted as the head of the Israel military. Doesn't seem like the  type of job for a pacifist.

We really have to investigate the word שָׁלוֹם. The word in English is transalated as "Peace" but in Lashon Hakodesh it has a much larger connotation. the word שָׁלוֹם is derived from the word שָׁלם which means "whole"
 m City besieged must call for peace is not "Peace" so what is it?

The Gemara in Berachot says



Rabbi Elazar said Rabbi Hanina said: Torah scholars increase peace in the world, as it is said: 'And all your children [banayich] shall be taught of Adonai, and great shall be the peace of your children.' (Isa. 54:13) Do not read your children [banayich], but your builders [bonayich]." -Talmud Brakhot 64a

dirachehah darchai noam vechol nesivoseha shalom

sh’mo shel Hakadosh Baruch Hu Shalom

gadol hashalom sh’ain chosmin hatefilah elah beshalom v’ain chosmin birchas kohanim elah beshalom”

The Malbim writes that shalom is the underlying cause of all success and is what keeps the world going.  Shalom unites all contradictory components on the lower world and upper worlds. This allows for the presence of Hashem’s Shechina that permeates all worlds and unites everything. it is the the power that unites dissimilar elements, allowing them to coexist

gadol hashalom sh’ain chosmin hatefilah elah beshalom v’ain chosmin birchas kohanim elah beshalom

shalom is a "prerequisite" for bracha, it is not an end but a means to perfection. 

shalom is "achdus" it is perfect harmony between disparate beings. "bracha" obviously comes after achdus" as 2 comes after 1 

Hashem's name is shalom because "ein ha'olam mekomo ela hu mekomo shel olam" he is the vessel and that vessel HAS to be shalom to recieve bracha. 

When we say a "bracha" we are uniting our existance with god's and combining the whole world. 

The Gemara in the begining of Keitzad Mevarchim says that if one eats without a bracha it is as if he is "ma'al" like he ate from hekdesh because the bracha is the ultimate combination but Shalom is the prerequisite for that. 

We need to coexist to receive bracha that means to coexist with everything around us and within ourselves. 

Pinchas had to be a warrior and a peacemaker to be considered an "ish shalom" 


"shalom bayis" is allowing two seemingly contradictory types of people to coexist

This is the reason Chazal say that there is no vessel to be machzik beracha other than shalom. Shalomallows things to actually come together to be a berachah.