- Oseh Shalom
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- Moshe Ben-Chaim
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- Question: At the end of the Kaddish and ritzeh, we say oseh
shalom...What is the source of this and is it Torah or Rabbanic in
nature? Is there a direct source from which it is taken.Thank you.
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Mesora: It is taken from the book
of Job, Chap. 25, verse 2. Bildad was one of those trying to explain
away Job's great misfortune, and claimed, "(Who) creates peace in
the heavens", meaning, according to the commentators, that
heavenly bodies operate without flaw - without change in their
circuits.
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- This statement must be a praise and not a request, as we concluded
the "request" portion of prayer 3 prayers earlier, and we do
not ask for other requests once that portion is concluded.
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- I didn't find a reason given for our enunciation of this concept.
Perhaps we say this upon conclusion of the Shmoneh Essray for the
reason that just as creation is perfect, so we state that God makes
man's existence perfect. Perhaps our witnessing of corruption in the
human race tricks us into thinking that corruption is due to God. Not
so.
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- We state that God makes peace in heaven and upon us, thereby
enunciating that God's plan is cohesive, consistent, and perfectly
righteous, and corruption is really man's. As we depart from God and
reenter our earthly matters at the conclusion of prayer, we must leave
prayer with correct notions. Perhaps this is why this statement is
inserted at this point.
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