בירושלמי דפאה דורו של דוד כולם צדיקים היו וע"י שהיו בהן דילוטורין היו נופלים במלחמה כו' אבל דורו של אחאב עובדי עו"ג היו וע"י שלא היו בהן דילוטורין היו יורדים למלחמה ומנצחין בו...
Dovid’s generation was outwardly pious in their observance – but they fell in battle because of malicious informers among them. Achav’s generation, on the other hand, was given to flirtations with avodah zarah – but prevailed on the battlefield, because they lacked those same flawed personalities!
אָמַר רִבִּי אַבָּא בַּר כַּהֲנָא דּוֹרוֹ שֶׁל דָּוִד כּוּלָּן צַדִּיקִים הָיוּ וְעַל יְדֵי שֶׁהָיָה לָהֶן דֵילָטוֹרִין הָיוּ יוֹצְאִין בַּמִּלְחָמָה וְהָיוּ נוֹפְלִין. הוּא שֶׁדָּוִד אָמַר נַפְשִׁי בְּתוֹךְ לְבָאִים אֶשְׁכְּבָה... לוֹהֲטִים זֶה דּוֹאֵג וְאַחִיתוֹפֶל שֶׁהָיוּ לְהוּטִין אַחַר לָשׁוֹן הָרַע... בְּאוֹתָהּ שָׁעָה אָמַר דָּוִד לִפְנֵי הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא רִבּוֹן הָעוֹלָמִים מַה שְׁכִינָתָךְ לֵירֵד בָּאָרֶץ סַלֵּק שְׁכִינָתָךְ מִבֵּינֵיהוֹן. הַהוּא דִּכְתִיב רוּמָה עַל שָׁמַיִם אֱלֹקִים עַל כָּל־הָאָרֶץ כְּבוֹדֶךָ. אֲבָל דּוֹרוֹ שֶׁל אַחְאָב עוֹבְדֵי עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה הָיוּ וְעַל יִדֵּי שֶׁלֹּא הָיָה לָהֶן דֵּילָטוֹרִיָּא הָיוּ יוֹרְדִין לַמִּלְחָמָה וְנוֹצְחִין...
Rebbi Abba bar Cahana said, the generation of David were all just but because there were informers among them they went to war and were falling. That is what David said (Ps. 57:9–10): “My soul, among lions I am lying down with blazing fires.” ...these are Doeg and Aḥitophel who were eager for calumny... “At that moment, David said before the Holy One, praised be He: Master of the Universe, why should Your glory descend among them? Remove Your glory from them! That is what is written (Ps. 57:6): “Rise over the Heavens, o God, higher than all earth Your glory!” The generation of Ahab were idolaters but since there was no informing among them they went to war and were victorious.
השוכן אתם בתוך טומאותם...
When Hashem declares that He is willing “to dwell amongst them amidst their tumah...”
״הַשּׁוֹכֵן אִתָּם בְּתוֹךְ טוּמְאֹתָם״, אֲפִילּוּ בִּשְׁעַת שֶׁהֵן טְמֵאִים — שְׁכִינָה עִמָּהֶם.
The last part of the verse: “That dwells with them in the midst of their impurity,” teaches that even when the Jewish people are impure, the Divine Presence is with them.
אבל בנמוסיות ומדות לשון הרע ומחלוקת ע"ז כתוב רומה על השמים כו' כביכול סלק שכינתך מהם.
However, when it comes to improper character traits like loshon hora and machlokes, it is written, Hashem withdraws His presence to heaven. As it were, Hashem says, “I’ve had it! I’m leaving! Because I can’t ‘stand’ that! (i.e. loshon hora and machlokes). When I leave, My Shechinah leaves! Once My presence leaves, then My PROTECTION leaves!!!
(יד) אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה עַל יְדֵי שֶׁהָיוּ בֵּינֵיכֶם בַּעֲלֵי לָשׁוֹן הָרָע סִלַּקְתִּי אֶת שְׁכִינָתִי מִבֵּינֵיכֶם...
Hashem said, "In this world because there was loshon hora among you, I removed My Divine Presence from your midst.
והמים להם חומה מלמד שעמד סמאל ואמר רבש"ע לא עבדו עבודה זרה ישראל במצרים ואתה עושה להם נסים, כו' ונתמלא עליהם חמה וביקש לטובען (לכן כתוב חמה חסר וי"ו) היינו דעל הנסים שעשה להם בהוציאם ממצרים לא טען משום דהגם דהיו נשחתין במצוות כמו שעבדו עו"ג והפרו ברית מילה אבל מאושרין היו במדות שלא הי' בהן לשון הרע והיו אוהבין זה את זה...
The waters split to form the two walls of our verse, the Soton protested. “These Bnei Yisroel worshipped idols in Egypt. Why are You performing miracles for them?” The guardian angel of the Sea agreed, and was angered enough to wish to reverse the miracle, and drown them! (For this reason the word chomah/ wall in our verse is spelled deficiently, without the voweled vav. This allows it to be read as cheimah/ anger, alluding to the Sea’s displeasure.) While we must indeed deal in some way with Soton’s point, we note that he could have argued similarly after the succession of plagues succeeded in liberating them from the Egyptians? Why did he wait till the splitting of the Sea? Our thinking above suggests an approach. While the Bnei Yisroel may have worshipped idols in Egypt and given up the practice of bris milah, they nonetheless displayed good character. They did not speak lashon hora. They loved each other.
(ה) רַב הוּנָא אָמַר בְּשֵׁם בַּר קַפָּרָא בִּשְׁבִיל אַרְבָּעָה דְּבָרִים נִגְאֲלוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל מִמִצְרַיִם... וְלֹא אָמְרוּ לָשׁוֹן הָרָע...
(see Devarim 28:64, Rav Schwab on Prayer, page 468 and Selected Essays by Rav Shimon Schwab, pages 72-79).
ולכך בצבור הקב"ה עושה להן נסים אבל במים כשנחלקו לד' כתות ויש שאמרו נשוב מצריימה הלשין שצריך לדון אותם כיחידים והן נכרתין על עו"ג והיך אתה עושה להן נסים ודו"ק.
Seen as a community, they merited the Divine intervention on their behalf. This changed as the shore of the Reed Sea, when their communal unity disintegrated, and they formed four different groups - each with a different strategy of dealing with the imminent threat of the approaching Egyptian armed force, including one that wished to return to Egypt! Their unity having evaporated, they had to be judged as individuals.
When this happens, we are in bad shape. This means that a when a community’s interpersonal relationships are contaminated, it is at much greater risk than where the people are befouled by other sins.
Two quotes to bear in mind: “Someone who wants to COME and bring UNITY should be involved with his COMMUNITY.” “The moment we stop fighting for each other, that’s the moment we lose our humanity (Documentary of ‘2012’)
Until this very day, one Jew greets another with the greeting “Sholom Aleichem!” In Eretz Yisrael, one does not greet people on the street by saying “Hi” or “Hello”. The classic greeting is “Sholom!” A person may say it perhaps 100 times or more per day.
(יד) בְּבֵית הַמֶּרְחָץ גַּם כֵּן אָסוּר לְדַבֵּר אוֹ לְהַרְהֵר בְּשׁוּם דָּבָר שֶׁבִּקְדֻשָּׁה וְאָסוּר לְהַזְכִּיר שֵׁמוֹת הַמְּיֻחָדִים לְהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אֲפִלּוּ בִּלְשׁוֹן חֹל (כְּגוֹן, גָּאט בִּלְשׁוֹן אַשְׁכְּנַז, וְכַיּוֹצֵא בָזֶה בִּשְׁאָר לְשׁוֹנוֹת) בְּבֵית הַמֶּרְחָץ אוֹ בִמְבוֹאוֹת הַמְּטֻנָּפִים. וְכֵן אָסוּר לִתֵּן שָׁם שָׁלוֹם לַחֲבֵרוֹ, כִּי שָׁלוֹם הוּא שְׁמוֹ שֶׁל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר, וַיִּקְרָא לוֹ יקוק שָׁלוֹם. וְאָדָם שֶׁשְּׁמוֹ שָׁלוֹם, יֵשׁ אוֹסְרִים לִקְרוֹתוֹ שָׁם בִּשְׁמוֹ, וְיֵשׁ מַתִּירִים כֵּיוָן שֶׁאֵינוֹ מְכַוֵּן עַל עִנְיַן הַשָּׁלוֹם אֶלָּא לְהַזְכָּרַת שְׁמוֹ שֶל אוֹתוֹ אָדָם. וְכֵן נוֹהֲגִים לְהָקֵל. וִירֵא שָׁמַיִם, יֶשׁ לוֹ לְהַחְמִיר (פ"ד פ"ה).
(14) In a bathhouse it is also forbidden to speak or think about sacred matters. It is also forbidden to mention the specific Names of the Holy One, Blessed is He, even in a secular language, (for example Gott in German, or in any other language) in a bathhouse or in a filthy alley. Similarly it is forbidden to extend shalom to your friend there, because Shalom is the Name of the Holy One blessed is He. As it is said: "And he called it Hashem Shalom." Regarding a person whose name is Shalom, some authorities forbid calling him by his name in the above-mentioned places. Others permit it since the intent is not the concept of peace but merely to mention the name of that particular person. Our practice is to be lenient. However, a God-fearing person should preferably adopt the stricter view.
(ו) (ו) אפילו ש"ש אסור - כי שלום הוא שמו של הקב"ה שנאמר ויקרא לו ד' שלום וה"ה שאסור ליתן שלום לחבירו במבואות המטונפות דכל דינו כבית הפנימי ואדם ששמו שלום יש אוסרין בבית המרחץ לקרותו בשמו אלא בלשון לע"ז ויש מתירין כיון שאינו מתכוין על ענין השלום אלא להזכרת שמו של אותו אדם ובדברי סופרים הלך אחר המיקל וכן נוהגין וירא שמים יש לו להחמיר יען כי הרבה מאחרונים אוסרין ויבלע המ"ם ויאמר רק שלו בלא מ"ם או שלון בנו"ן וגם באגרת הרשות נכון שלא לכתוב שלום עם וא"ו רק שלם שמצוי לזרוק באשפות:
Normally, there is a prohibition from mentioning Hashem’s Name for no reason. According to some, this prohibition equates with the third of the Ten Statements - not taking the Hashem’s Name in vain.
(ג) כל הברכות אם נסתפק אם בירך אם לאו אינו מברך לא בתחלה ולא בסוף חוץ מבהמ"ז מפני שהוא של תורה:
(ו) כָּל הַבְּרָכוֹת (חוּץ מִבִּרְכַּת הַמָּזוֹן שֶׁיְּבֹאַר אי"ה בְּסִימָן מד סָעִיף יא) אִם נִסְתַּפֵּק בָּהֶן אִם אֲמָרָן אוֹ לֹא אֲמָרָן אֵינוֹ חוֹזֵר וּמְבָרֵךְ (סִימָן רט).
(6) With regard to all berachos (except for Birchas Hamazon which will be elaborated upon, God willing in Chapter 44, par. 11), if you are in doubt whether you said them or not, you should not repeat them.
Therefore, we have a paradox here. On the one hand, we are very strict regarding not mentioning Hashem’s Name without a purpose. Yet the institution of how one Jew greets his fellow Jew has always been to do so by invoking one of the Names of Hashem: Sholom.
Today, however, we don’t use one of the 7 inerasable Names of Hashem but we do say, Sholom Aleichem:
What does all this mean?
When we need to give the Sotah [suspected adulteress] the special water to test her fidelity to her husband, we take Hashem’s Name, write it on a piece of earthenware, throw it in the water and erase it.
אָמַר רַבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל, קַל וָחוֹמֶר: וּמָה לַעֲשׂוֹת שָׁלוֹם בֵּין אִישׁ לְאִשְׁתּוֹ...
Rabbi Yishmael said: The fact that the names of God in the scrolls of heretics may be burned can be derived through an a fortiori inference: Just as to make peace between a husband and his wife...
ואמר מר גדול שלום שבין איש לאשתו שהרי אמרה תורה שמו של הקב"ה שנכתב בקדושה ימחה על המים...
Master said: Great is peace between a man and his wife, as the Torah said that the name of the Holy One, Blessed be He, which is written in sanctity, shall be erased on the waters as part of the ritual of a woman suspected by her husband of adultery (see Numbers 5:23) in order to clear her from suspicion and restore peace between her and her husband...
רַבִּי יְהוּדָה טְעֵים אֲמַר קַל וָחוֹמֶר וּמָה לַעֲשׂוֹת שָׁלוֹם בֵּין אִישׁ לְאִשְׁתּוֹ אָמְרָה תּוֹרָה שְׁמִי שֶׁנִּכְתַּב בִּקְדוּשָּׁה יִמָּחֶה עַל הַמַּיִם הַמְאָרְרִים בְּסָפֵק וַאֲנִי עַל אַחַת כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה
Rabbi Yehuda tasted it, without concern for his honor. He said: This is an a fortiori inference: And what can be seen, that in order to make peace between a man and his wife, the Torah said: My name, that is written in sanctity, shall be blotted out in the waters that curse, as the words written on a scroll, including the name of God, were blotted out during the ceremony of preparing the water that a sota would drink. And this is so even in a case of where it is uncertain if this will bring peace between them, as she may or not be guilty of adultery. I, all the more so, should waive my honor in order to bring peace to this couple.
גדול השלום שהשם שנכתב בקדושה אמר הקב"ה ימחה על המים להטיל שלום בין איש לאשתו...
When there is disharmony between husband and wife, the Shechinah is not there.
In other words, when the husband and wife are in dispute with one another, there is already an erasure of Hashem’s Name. For this reason, Hashem says, “Let them use my Name to bring back Sholom Bayis.” Such a process does not cause an erasure of My Name and Presence from this world, on the contrary, that process restores the Shechinah!
This too is the reason we may invoke the Name of Hashem to say hello to someone. When Jews are at peace with one another, the Shechinah dwells amongst us. When we are not living in peace, the Almighty removes His Presence from amongst us. It is worthwhile to use the Name of Hashem to greet someone and be friendly, thereby promoting unity amongst the Jewish people.
How good and how pleasant it is
that brothers dwell together.
Jewish unity is the key that causes the Divine Presence to be present amongst us.
If you look in any siddur, you’ll notice that letters ע of שְׁמַ֖ע and ד of אֶחָֽד are enlarged. Together they form the word עֵד, witness. The enlarged letters hint to the thought that every Jew, by pronouncing the shema, bears witness to Hashem’s Unity and declares it to all the world (Rokeach; Kol Bo; Abudraham).
שְׁמַ֖ע יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל יקוק אֱלֹקֵ֖ינוּ יקוק ׀ אֶחָֽד׃
We say in ma’ariv:
יַחֵד שִׁמְךָ וְקַיֵּם מַלְכוּתְ֒ךָ תָּמִיד וּמְלֹךְ עָלֵֽינוּ לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד:
reveal the unity of Your Name, preserve Your kingdom always and reign over us forever and ever.
If we put emphasis on yaCHEID, יַחֵד, it sounds like עֵד, witness. How do we bear witness to Hashem’s Unity and declare it to the entire world? By standing united undivided! Hashem is telling us directly, “Unite with your fellow Jew, by having sholom. That’s how you’ll bring unity to My Name.”