Shalom
Shalom (שָׁלוֹם) is a
Hebrew word meaning
peace. As it does in English, it can refer to either
peace between two entities (especially between man and God or possibly between two countries), or to true
inner peace, calmness or safety of one individual. It is also used as a greeting to either say hello or farewell, and is found in many other expressions and names. Its equivalent
cognate in
Arabic is
salaam and
sälam in
Ethiopian Semitic languages.
The word shalom derives from the
root shin-
lamedh-
mem (ש.ל.ם), which has cognates in many
Semitic languages, and means
completeness,
fulfillment,
wellbeing, a concept usually encapsulated by translation in the word
peace.
Hence usage of
shalom in the
Hebrew Bible often refers to conditions related to peace: safety, health and prosperity of individuals and nations.
The word
shalom is used in a variety of expressions and contexts in Hebrew speech and writing:
*
Shalom aleichem (שָׁלוֹם עֲלֵיכֶם; literally "peace be upon you"), this expression is used to greet others and is a Hebrew equivalent of "hello". The appropriate response to such a greeting is "upon you be peace" (
aleichem shalom). This is a cognate of the Arabic
Assalamu alaikum.
*
Shalom by itself is a very common abbreviation, and is used in Modern Israeli Hebrew to both greet and farewell.
*
Shabbat shalom (שַׁבָּת שָׁלוֹם) is a common greeting used on
Shabbat (the
Jewish sabbath). This is most prominent in areas with
Mizrahi,
Sephardi or Modern
Israeli influence. Many
Ashkenazi communities in the Jewish diaspora use
Yiddish Gut shabbes in preference or interchangeably.
*
Ma sh'lom'cha (מַ" שְׁלוֹמְךָ; literally "what is your peace/wellbeing?") is a Hebrew equivalent of the English "how are you?".
*
Alav hashalom (עַלָיו "ַשָּׁלוֹם; literally "upon him is peace") is a phrase used in some Jewish communities after mentioning the name of a deceased respected individual. The
Islamic equivalent is "
Peace be upon him" (or just PBUH; Arabic:
alayhi is-salaam), most commonly used after the mention of
Muhammad.
*
Oseh shalom is the start of a passage commonly found as a concluding sentence in much
Jewish liturgy (including the
birkat hamazon,
kaddish and personal
amida prayers). The full sentence is "עוֹשֶֹ" שָׁלוֹם בִּמְרוֹמָיו, "וּא יַעֲשֶֹ" שָׁלוֹם עָלֵינוּ,וְעַל כָּל יִשְֹרָאֵל וְאִמְרוּ אָמֵן.", which translates to English as "He who makes peace in His heights may He make peace upon us and upon all Israel; and say, Amen."
Related words in Modern Hebrew include
l'shalem (לְשַׁלֵּם), "to pay" and
shalem (שָׁלֵם), "complete".
Shalom as a name of God
Shalom is one of God's 70 names in Hebrew.
Shalom as a name for people
Shalom is also common in modern Hebrew in
Israel, as a (male)
given name or a
surname. Note that it is related to the name
Solomon (
Heb. שלומ"
Shelomo).
Notable people named Shalom include:
*
Silvan Shalom (
Israeli politician), and his wife
Judy Shalom Nir-Mozes*
Sholom Aleichem (
Yiddish author)
*
Shalom Harlow (model and actress)
*
Shalom Carmy (
rabbi)
*
Shalom Shachna (rabbi)
*
Yosef Shalom Eliashiv (rabbi)
Shalom as a name for organizations
Shalom can be part of an
organization's name.
The name of the following organizations and places refer to "peace" between
Israel and its
Arab neighbors:
*
Brit Tzedek v'Shalom*
Brit Shalom*
Gush Shalom*
Hevel Shalom*
Neve Shalom*
Shalom SesameShalom as name for synagogues or structures
Shalom is used as part of other names, such as for
synagogues, as in:
*
Beth Sholom Synagogue*
Neve Shalom Synagogue*
Shalom Meir tower*
Shalom Park in
Charlotte, North Carolina*
Salaam
