"then you shall call out to it for peace": Great is peace, for even in war peace is needed. Great is peace, for even the dead need peace. Great is peace, for even the dwellers on high need peace, as it is written (Iyyov 25:1) "He makes peace among His exalted ones." Great is peace, for the priestly blessing ends with "peace." And even Moses was a lover of peace, as it is written (Devarim 2:26) "And I sent messengers from the desert of Kedemoth … with words of peace."
(דברים כ י) כִּי תִקְרַב אֶל עִיר, בְּמִלְחֶמֶת הָרְשׁוּת הַכָּתוּב מְדַבֵּר.
(Devarim 20:10) "If you draw near to a city": Scripture here speaks of an optional war.
אֶל עִיר – וְלֹא לִכְרָךְ.
"to a city": and not to a metropolis;
אֶל עִיר – וְלֹא לִכְפָר.
"to a city": and not to a village.
לְהִלָּחֵם עָלֶיהָ – וְלֹא לְהַרְעִיבָהּ וְלֹא לְהַצְמִיאָהּ, וְלֹא לַהֲמִיתָהּ מִיתַת תַּחֲלוּאִים.
"to do battle with it": and not to reduce it by hunger, thirst, or plague.
וְקָרָאתָ אֵלֶיהָ לְשָׁלוֹם. גָּדוֹל שָׁלוֹם, שֶׁאֲפִלּוּ מֵתִים צְרִיכִים שָׁלוֹם. גָּדוֹל שָׁלוֹם, שֶׁאֲפִלּוּ בְּמִלְחַמְתָּם שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל צְרִיכִים שָׁלוֹם. גָּדוֹל שָׁלוֹם, שֶׁדָּרֵי רוּם צְרִיכִים שָׁלוֹם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (איוב כה ב): ״עוֹשֶׂה שָׁלוֹם בִּמְרוֹמָיו״. גָּדוֹל שָׁלוֹם, שֶׁחוֹתְמִים בּוֹ בִּרְכַּת כֹּהֲנִים. וְאַף מֹשֶׁה הָיָה אוֹהֵב שָׁלוֹם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים ב כו): ״וָאֶשְׁלַח מַלְאָכִים מִמִּדְבַּר קְדֵמוֹת אֶל סִיחוֹן מֶלֶךְ חֶשְׁבּוֹן דִּבְרֵי שָׁלוֹם״.
"then you shall call out to it for peace": Great is peace, for even in war peace is needed. Great is peace, for even the dead need peace. Great is peace, for even the dwellers on high need peace, as it is written (Iyyov 25:1) "He makes peace among His exalted ones." Great is peace, for the priestly blessing ends with "peace." And even Moses was a lover of peace, as it is written (Devarim 2:26) "And I sent messengers from the desert of Kedemoth … with words of peace."