{"id":59301,"date":"2019-07-12T07:08:42","date_gmt":"2019-07-12T04:08:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/?p=59301"},"modified":"2023-02-04T23:26:02","modified_gmt":"2023-02-04T21:26:02","slug":"go-in-peace-go-to-peace","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/go-in-peace-go-to-peace\/","title":{"rendered":"Go In Peace; Go To Peace"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[281],"tags":[361,569],"acf":{"old_id":"59301","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":56118,"related_cahpter":"261","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content":{"description":"One letter, many meanings: how do we understand the Biblical send-off?\u00a0","content":"

In biblical Hebrew, it is not uncommon for parting individuals to wish one another \u201c<\/span>lekh le-shalom<\/span><\/em>,\u201d Go in peace. Interestingly enough, there is some debate as to whether the proper blessing is \u201c<\/span>lekh be-shalom<\/span><\/em>,\u201d “Go in peace,” or \u201c<\/span>lekh le-shalom<\/span><\/em>,\u201d literally \u201cGo to peace.\u201d Though it seems like a relatively trivial difference, a close reading of our chapter suggests that the single Hebrew letter difference between the phrases might make a substantial difference.<\/span><\/p>\n

When dismissing David from his army, at the behest of the Philistine soldiers who distrust the Israelite\u2019s loyalty to their side, Achish wishes David \u201c<\/span>Lekh be-shalom<\/span><\/em>.\u201d Reading the phrase literally, it seems that Achish means to wish that David leave him in a peaceful spirit. Despite his asking David to leave, he hopes that David will retain a positive attitude toward the king.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In contrast, a number of examples suggest that \u201c<\/span>Lekh le-shalom<\/span><\/em>\u201d is specifically used when one wishes someone else a safe journey. Before Moses returns to Egypt, where his life had been endangered after he killed an Egyptian, his father-in-law Jethro wishes him \u201c<\/span>Lekh le-shalom<\/span><\/em>\u201d (Exodus 4:18). When Jonathan, Saul\u2019s son, takes leave of David, he similarly says \u201c<\/span>Lekh le-shalom<\/span><\/em>,\u201d meaning that David should be protected by King Saul (I Samuel 20:42). After healing the Aramean commander Na\u2019aman from a dangerous skin affliction, Elisha wishes him the same (II Kings 5:19).<\/span><\/p>\n

Intriguingly, the Talmud (<\/span>Berakhot <\/span><\/i>64a) seems to take a different tack, teaching:<\/span><\/p>\n

And Rabbi Avin ha-Levi said: One who takes leave from another should not say to him: Go in peace, but rather, he should say: Go to peace. As we see that, on the one hand, Jethro said to Moses: \u201cGo to peace\u201d (Exodus 4:18), and Moses ascended and was successful. On the other hand, David said to his son, Absalom: \u201cGo in peace\u201d (II Samuel 15:9), and Absalom went and was ultimately hanged.<\/span><\/p>\n

At first glance, this passage seems to suggest that \u201c<\/span>Lekh le-shalom<\/span><\/em>\u201d is a blessing, while \u201c<\/span>Lekh be-shalom<\/span><\/em>\u201d is a curse, which is rather different than the explanation we have set forward.<\/span><\/p>\n

Yet careful consideration demonstrates that this passage dovetails quite nicely with our explanation. Jethro wishes Moses a peaceful journey, which Moses merits. Yet David\u2019s blessing to Absalom is that he travel peacefully – but this is, of course, precisely the opposite of what Absalom ultimately does. Instead, Absalom foments a rebellion against his father. In other words, his exit is anything but peaceful. David\u2019s wish was that Absalom choose peace. But by choosing rebellion, Absalom sealed his fate.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ultimately, this distinction in meaning – based on a difference in a single letter – can only be fully appreciated by a close examination of the original Hebrew text. Studying in translation is certainly extremely valuable, but the difference between <\/span>lekh be-shalom<\/em> <\/span>and <\/span>lekh le-shalom<\/em> <\/span>suggests that studying the Bible in the original Hebrew enables us to achieve insight that no translation can offer.<\/span><\/p>\n","image":{"ID":46708,"id":46708,"title":"shutterstock_137006933","filename":"shutterstock_137006933.jpg","filesize":0,"url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/shutterstock_137006933.jpg","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/great-is-peace\/shutterstock_137006933\/","alt":"","author":"7","description":"","caption":"","name":"shutterstock_137006933","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":46591,"date":"2018-12-31 13:07:34","modified":"2019-07-12 08:57:22","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":4930,"height":6001,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/shutterstock_137006933-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/shutterstock_137006933-246x300.jpg","medium-width":246,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/shutterstock_137006933-768x935.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":935,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/shutterstock_137006933-841x1024.jpg","large-width":841,"large-height":1024,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/shutterstock_137006933.jpg","1536x1536-width":1262,"1536x1536-height":1536,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/shutterstock_137006933.jpg","2048x2048-width":1682,"2048x2048-height":2048,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/shutterstock_137006933-986x1200.jpg","post_full_size-width":986,"post_full_size-height":1200,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/shutterstock_137006933-345x420.jpg","home_baner-width":345,"home_baner-height":420}},"embedded_video":"","video_duration":"","show_fb_comments":true,"credit_media":""},"tile":{"top_caption":"","main_caption":"Go In Peace; Go To Peace","main_caption_size":"1","sub_caption":"One letter, many meanings: how do we understand the Biblical send-off?\u00a0","preview_embedded":"","preview_image":{"ID":46708,"id":46708,"title":"shutterstock_137006933","filename":"shutterstock_137006933.jpg","filesize":0,"url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/shutterstock_137006933.jpg","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/great-is-peace\/shutterstock_137006933\/","alt":"","author":"7","description":"","caption":"","name":"shutterstock_137006933","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":46591,"date":"2018-12-31 13:07:34","modified":"2019-07-12 08:57:22","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":4930,"height":6001,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/shutterstock_137006933-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/shutterstock_137006933-246x300.jpg","medium-width":246,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/shutterstock_137006933-768x935.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":935,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/shutterstock_137006933-841x1024.jpg","large-width":841,"large-height":1024,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/shutterstock_137006933.jpg","1536x1536-width":1262,"1536x1536-height":1536,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/shutterstock_137006933.jpg","2048x2048-width":1682,"2048x2048-height":2048,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/shutterstock_137006933-986x1200.jpg","post_full_size-width":986,"post_full_size-height":1200,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/shutterstock_137006933-345x420.jpg","home_baner-width":345,"home_baner-height":420}},"preview_video":"","external_link":"","link_for_pay":false,"tile_gallery_items":false,"credits":""},"alternate_tile":{"top_caption":"","main_caption":"","main_caption_size":"1","sub_caption":"","hide_media":false},"tile_group":{"preview_image_url":false,"main_caption":"","sub_caption":"","":null,"popup_package_extra_content":"","read_time":""},"home_color":"","home_gallery_top":"","home_gallery_middle":"","home_gallery_book":"","home_gallery_bottom":"","seo":{"seo_title":"","seo_description":"","seo_default_title":"","seo_default_description":""},"links":false,"send_noty":false},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59301"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=59301"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59301\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":112319,"href":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59301\/revisions\/112319"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=59301"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=59301"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=59301"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}