Friday, November 4, 2011

Dona Nobis Pacem: Blog Blast for Peace

Today bloggers from all over are uniting to promote peace. This will be our first time participating, and we thank Coffee, Cats & Yarn for her blog post, otherwise we would not have known about it.

Peace - Shalom - is a pretty central concept to our culture. So we asked Mother to say a few words about it.

*waves a paw dramatically* Take it awaaaaay, Mommy!

  (*eyeroll* There's one in every crowd... )

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Thanks guys.

For many years, the U.S. had a governmental affairs office in D.C. headed by a man named Moshe Shearer. This man, a rabbi, had a very interesting insight into the concept of peace.

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One of the oldest practices in Judaism, he said, involves a prayer that concludes with Oseh Shalom. Oseh Shalom is probably the most famous prayer for peace in the Hebrew language – and in my opinion one of the most beautiful, especially when you hear its melody. Translated, it goes something like this:

May he who makes peace in the high places make peace for us…

Interestingly, tradition requires you begin by taking three steps back then, as you say the prayer, you bow to the left, to the right and to the front.

Rabbi Sherer taught that the reason for this was to remind us that there is only one way to truly achieve peace among people. 

Stepping back represents stepping back from oneself, dropping personal agendas and willingly letting go of those strongly held personal viewpoints. This helps remove obstacles that stand in the way of objectivity. And while pure objectivity may never be achieved, this practice helps you to better understand the viewpoint of your adversary.

But stepping back isn’t enough. Keeping an open mind and striving for objectivity are a critical first step, true, but if we truly want peace we need to be willing to bend. A little bit of compromise (whether it’s the left, the right or the center) is a necessary component to achieving true peace.


May we all learn to step back and be willing to bend - whether it's to the left, to the right or to the center.  

Oseh Shalom Bimromav. Hu ya’aseh shalom aleinu. V'yal kol Israel, v'imru Amein.



13 comments:

  1. This probably is the most wonderful and wise peace post we've read so far--and there have been many, many wonderful posts, filled with great wisdom.

    We're joining in with our purrs and purrayers for Peace, not only for today, but for all days.

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  2. Maxwell: Momma sez your comment means so much to her! Thank you for posting!

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  3. Shalom! Beautifully said dear friends. I do purr for peace here - today and every day.

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  4. What a wonderful explanation on achieving peace. We really must look outside ourselves first.

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  5. This post reminds me that people are not so very different. I had a similar lesson about being open to surroundings and people who may not be directly in your sight.

    Best wishes to you and yours, and all the purries, for peace today and in all the days to come.

    Oh...and welcome to the movement!

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  6. This is a great post! I spent some time in Jerusalem back in the 90s. Brings back some great memories. Thanks and Shalom x

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  7. Shalom Chaverim. What a beautiful post.

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  8. Another excellent peace post! Beautiful.

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  9. I found your post interesting and wise. Peace be with you today and every day. Shalom.

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  10. What a wonderful lesson on peace.

    Cody and Gracie

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  11. Oseh Shalom Bimromav. Hu ya’aseh shalom aleinu. V'yal kol Israel, v'imru Amein.

    Thank you for sharing this. I've heard the word 'Shalom' before, but never heard this prayer for peace before. It's always interesting to know why one carries out actions to words like this, but in this case it is the wisdom within both the actions and words that is profound!

    Peace to you and yours, Ryker!

    [A link to your post will be on my blog 'Peace Bloggers Unite' soon]

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  12. What a beautiful peace post spoken by very fine kitties (and Mom)
    Thank you for joining us this year for the first time in the peace movement.
    Welcome!

    You are #2400 in the Official Peace Globe Gallery at blogblastforpeace.com
    Please join us again Nov 4, 2012

    Dona nobis pacem,
    Mimi

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Coolio! A comment? For US?