The Joy of Shalom

By Dani’el Rendelman
www.emetministries.com

For every language in the world there is a particular way to say “hello.”
“Hola" (OH-la) is 'hello' in Spanish.
"Ni hao" (nee-Ha-OW) is Chinese for 'greetings'
"Bonjour" (bohn-Zhoor) is how the French say 'good day'
"Shalom" (shah-LOHM) is 'hello', 'goodbye', and 'peace' in Hebrew
Like saying “aloha” in Hawaii, wishing someone “shalom” carries many meanings. Just walk down a street in Israel and the word is sure to be heard from the lips of merchants, children, and next-door neighbors. The Zohar says, “Greeting a righteous person with Shalom! is like greeting the Holy One Himself, who in thine own person represents the harmony between the above and the below.”
Isn't it amazing that in Israel, a country plagued by terrorists, the term most-often used is Shalom? Regardless of settlement pullouts and suicide bombers the desire and aspiration of every Yisraelite is peace. Experiencing such peace in the Middle East is a promise that is repeated over and over again throughout the scriptures. To our nation the Almighty promises, “I will bring health and healing to it: I will heal My people and will let them enjoy abundant shalom and safety…I will cleanse them from all the sins they have committed against me…Then this city will bring Me renown, joy, praise and honor before all nations of the earth that hear of all the good things I do for it; and they will be in awe and will tremble at the abundant prosperity and shalom I provide it,” -- Yermi’yahu / Jeremiah 33: 6-9.
Yes, the hope of all mankind is to live in peace and safety. In their quest for peace, soldiers have died and kings have conquered. Yet true shalom is greater than just the absence of war and it is more than a friendly greeting. It is better than a fleeting feeling of happiness. Shalom is the central message of the Bible, the reason the Messiah came, and the answer to the all of the problems in our universe. And boy, do we have problems.
Shalom is the central message of the Bible, the reason the Messiah came, and the answer to the all of the problems in our universe.
Let’s face it. We hurt. Our souls ache. We might act like we have it all together, but deep down inside we hide so much pain. Bills mount up, kids drive us crazy, and the pressures of life take their toll on our hearts. We are so sick and tired, that we’re sick and tired, of being sick and tired. We strive to be moral and we try to obey the mitzvot (commandments). But. But, it feels like something is not right. Like a huge jigsaw puzzle that is missing a few key pieces, our life seems to be missing something vitally important. Yet, what could it be?
Our soul’s desire is to experience “wholeness.” We long for meaning and purpose. This craving can only be fulfilled through the Creator’s peace found in the person of Yahshua HaMoshiach (Hebrew version of the Savior’s Name and His title as Messiah).
This peace is not the "peaceful easy feeling" the songwriters promise. Rather it is something greater; it is something bigger; and something much more powerful. By using the word "peace" so loosely in our modern world, we have departed from a true Biblical understanding of the word. The English word "peace" doesn't adequately describe the Hebrew term shalom. Genuine Shalom is the presence of the Holy One. This Shalom is literally His "wholeness" manifest.
The English word "peace" doesn't adequately describe the Hebrew term shalom. Genuine Shalom is the presence of the Holy One.

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance defines "shalom" as, "to be well, happy, complete, in good health, prosperous, to be whole, and wholly.” The events of Luke, chapter 8 shed some interesting light on this. “But as He went the people thronged Him. And a woman having an issue of blood twelve years, which had spent all her living upon physicians, neither could be healed of any, came behind Him, and touched the border of His garment; and immediately her issue of blood stanched. And Yahshua said, 'Who touched Me?' When all denied, Peter and they that were with Him said, 'Master, the multitude throng Thee and press Thee, and sayest thou, Who touched Me?' And Yahshua said, 'Somebody hath touched me; for I perceive that virtue has gone out of me.' And when the woman saw that she was not hid, she came trembling and falling down before Him, she declared unto Him before all the people for what cause she had touched Him, and how she was healed immediately. And He said unto her, 'Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made the whole; go in Shalom,’” – verses 42-48.
In this story, the woman with the issue of blood received her healing as she touched the tzittzit (fringes) upon the garment of the Messiah. Her faith led her to reach out for the Savior, and the end result was her healing. Not only did the flow of blood stop; she was also completely made whole. Don’t miss this. She was healed and made whole. She had found the Messiah. The void in her soul was now overflowing with shalom. Her life was now filled with Him. The woman had come face to face with the Prince of Peace, Yahshua Sar Shalom, and she would never be the same.
By the power of Shalom we can walk in faith amidst the troubles of life. Through His Shalom we can make it though a bad day or a string of terrible events. The book of Ephesians proves how this is possible. "He is our Shalom, Who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us." -- Ephesians 2: 14. Our shalom is the presence of Master Yahshua. It is Him. Nothing more and nothing less. He is our peace. The Prince of Peace is our wholeness. He is the one that completes us. To illustrate this, a Jew who accepts Yahshua as Messiah is often called “completed Jew.” Rav Sha’ul wrote, “For YHWH was pleased to have all the fullness dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making shalom though His blood, shed on the execution stake,” -- Colossians 1:19, 20. (YHWH is the ancient Hebrew name of the Creator, often translated “LORD” or “GOD” in English Bibles.)
The Modern Hebrew phrase for "How are you?" is "Mah shomcha." Mah shomcha is literally translated "What is your wholeness?" To this question a believer should respond "Yahshua sar Shalom," which in English is "Yahshua the Prince of Peace."
By the power of Shalom we can walk in faith amidst the troubles of life.
Every time we use the word “shalom,” we should be reminded that we are speaking about Yahshua. He is our peace. Now, apply this idea to Tehillim / Psalms 122: 6 where we are told to “pray for the peace of Jerusalem.” When we do this, we are actually praying for the salvation of Jerusalem. As we pray for the peace of Jerusalem, we are praying that all Yisra’el comes to know Yahshua as their Master and Savior! The Talmud confirms this in Megillah E: 33-35, “And where is the horn of the righteous exalted? In Jerusalem, as it says, Pray for the peace of Jerusalem, may they prosper that love thee. And when Jerusalem is built, David will come, as it says.”
Many times we feel that we can protect ourselves from this world of pain. We reason that we’re too busy to stop and pray. We act as if we can face the storms of life without the Holy One. Well, this is not the case. Exodus 14: 14 makes clear what our job is and what Yahweh's job is when it comes to the problems of life, "YHWH shall fight for you, and you shall hold your peace." Here’s our answer to those bad hair days, plain and simple. YHWH does the combat. All we have to do is hold on to Him. He fights for us while we hold our ground.
In Hebrew the words for “hold your peace” are "charash Shalom." Charash means "to scratch, to engrave, to plough; to be deaf, imagine, speak not a word, be still." This same word is used many times in the Scriptures for a "craftsman" or "engraver." The implication here is that we are to take the Shalom of heaven and carve it deeply into our situation. "Charash Shalom" is translated in many verses "hold your peace" but could also be understood as "engrave His Shalom upon your life," or "imagine His Shalom." Like a farmer ploughs through the top soil, we too should dig His shalom deep into the dirt of life.
All we have to do is hold on to Him. He fights for us while we hold our ground.
"Shalom, be still," Yahshua told the winds and the waves as a storm came upon His disciples' boat in Mark 4: 39. Death seemed eminent until Shalom appeared through the darkness. In the same way, as we seek to walk in the Spirit, many storms will threaten to capsize our boat of faith. In an attempt to shake us, the winds of doubt blow fiercely, the waves of opposition reach enormous levels, and the rain of criticism continually beats down upon us. Our response to this attack should mirror that of the Messiah. Resolutely, we should stand and say, "Shalom, be still." We should declare that no matter what battle we may face, by our faith "we know that all things work together for good to them that love YHWH, to them who are the called according to his purpose." -- Romiyah / Romans 8: 28.
The Renewed Covenant teaches that Shalom is a fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22, "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, Shalom.” The Talmud too, speaks of Shalom as a by-product of the joy in us, “Rabbi Eleazar said, ‘The disciples of the sages increase peace throughout the world, as it is said, And all thy children shall be taught of YHWH; and great shall be the peace of thy children.” Nazir 5, 6. This fruit of safety and wholeness comes forward as we walk in obedience to the Torah. “The fruit of righteousness is shalom: the effect of righteousness will be shalom and confidence forever. My people will live in dwelling places of shalom, in secure homes, in undisturbed places of rest,” -- Yesha’yahu – Isaiah 32: 17-18.
The Torah is the blueprint for life. The Torah speaks about how believers should live, pray, eat, dress, and worship. The shalom, the presence of YHWH, that we experience here on earth is equal to the precepts of Torah that we walk in. “The Divine presence will not reside through sorrow, nor though laziness, nor through levity, nor through the preoccupation with trifles, but rather through the joy experienced by the performance of a mitzvah,” says the Talmud in Shabbos 30b. Torah submission connects us to YHWH, who gives us His Shalom.
“And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance forever,” -- Yesha’yahu - Isaiah 32:17. Later in both chapters 46 and 57, the Word says, “there is not peace unto the wicked.”
Torah submission connects us to YHWH, who gives us His Shalom.

As we walk in Shalom we are walking as Yahshua walked and thus replicating His life. “My covenant was with him of life and shalom; and I gave them to him for the fear wherewith he feared me, and was afraid before my name. The law of truth was in his mouth, and iniquity was not found in his lips: he walked with me in shalom and equity, and did turn many away from iniquity,” -- Malachi 2.
Yahshua was never in a hurry nor did he ever worry about life. He lived in total shalom. Yahshua HaMoshiach, focused on YHWH, brought forth the Kingdom of Heaven.
Having Yahshua’s focus is what enables us to have the Shalom promised in the Scriptures. "He wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose minds is stayed on Thee." Isaiah 26: 3
If we trust, or focus on things of this world, then doubt, fear and worry will grip us. But if we believe, and put our assurance in the Father's sovereignty, then He will keep us in His Shalom or wholeness. This idea is emphasized by the Gematria value of Shalom, which is 376. Through Gematria, the practice of giving Hebrew letters numerical values, we may gain insight and understanding into the hidden truths of the Bible. The Gematria of “Shalom” is exactly equal to the numerical value of Exodus 15:18, which says “YHWH yimloch le'olam va'ed" or in English "Yahweh will reign for eternity." This teaches us that when YHWH is reigning in our life, when He is King, there is complete peace. Yahweh’s glory is complete as His shalom guards our hearts and mind.The battle for Shalom is fought in our thoughts. As Proverbs 23:7 teaches, "for as he thinketh in his heart, so he is." If we stay focused on the Word, through prayer, study, and worship then we can keep the true heaven-sent Shalom. “Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things,” -- Philippians 4: 8
It is by thinking or focusing on the "right things" that we can tune our hearts to His frequency and listen to YHWH’s beautiful music of shalom. As the Talmud reads,
“Great is shalom, for it was given as a reward for devotion to Torah and good deeds, "And I will give peace in the land" (Leviticus 26:6)
Great is shalom, for it was given to those who love the Torah, as it say, "Great shalom have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them" (Psalm 119:165)
"Great is shalom, for it was given to those who study the Torah, as it says. And all thy children shall be taught of the Master; and great shall be the peace of thy children" (Isaiah 46:13)
Great is peace, for it was given to those who practice charity, as it says, "And the practice of charity shall mean peace." (Ahvot 1:2).
Great is shalom, for the name of the Omnipresent is called Peace; as it says, "And he called it: YHWH is peace" (Judges 6:24).
Great is shalom, for the angels that dwell on high need peace, as it says, "He maketh peace in His high places" (Job 25:2).
Shalom is more than just a friendly greeting. It is an expression of our hope of salvation in the Messiah. For Moshiach came to bring reconciliation between man and Elohim. Like the peace offering during Temple times, because of Messiah we have fellowship with YHWH. “Therefore being justified by faith, we have shalom with Elohim through our Master Yahshua HaMoshiach,” – Romiyah / Romans 5:1. Shalom is the Messiah’s wholeness, His presence, and His joy in our life.

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