One of the most well-known Hebrew words, perhaps the most famous of all, is the word Shalom, peace.
In this week’s Parsha, however, the word Shalom is written in a very unusual way. The word is made up of four letters: Shin, Lamed, Vav, and Mem. Yet in the Torah scroll, the letter Vav is written with a small crack or split running through it, making it appear almost broken in two. It resembles a Yud on the top half and a Vav on the bottom half.

This is not a printing mistake. This is exactly how it appears in the actual Torah scroll, and it is the only place in the Torah where a word is written in this manner.

The obvious question is: why?

Shouldn’t Shalom, peace be complete and whole? The very concept of peace is to unite people, ideas, and hearts together, not to appear broken or divided.

Yet within this broken letter lies a profound lesson.

The word Shalom, written in this “defective” form, has the same numerical value as the phrase: “זה משיח” 
“This is Mashiach.”

The Torah is teaching us that even when peace appears fractured, distant, or impossible, we must never abandon hope. Specifically in moments when the world feels broken, we continue believing in redemption, healing, and ultimate peace.

It is easy to give up when things seem shattered. It is easy to lose faith when conflict, pain, and uncertainty surround us. But the broken Vav reminds us that brokenness itself can become the opening through which redemption enters.

This message is especially meaningful as we enter the period known as the Three Weeks, which began this past Wednesday night, July 1, leading up to Tisha B’Av on the evening of July 22 through July 23. During these weeks we mourn the destruction of Jerusalem and the Beit Hamikdash, the Holy Temples, along with the many tragedies and suffering experienced throughout Jewish history.

These days are not only about mourning the past. They are also about reflecting on what caused destruction—baseless hatred, division, and spiritual distance, and recommitting ourselves to unity, kindness, faith, and hope.

In our times, peace often seems painfully distant. Despite all of humanity’s technological and scientific advancements, the world still struggles with war, poverty, hatred, loneliness, and suffering. Shalom itself appears “broken.”

But it is precisely during such times that we strengthen our trust in Hashem and deepen our commitment to bringing more light into the world. The broken Vav teaches us never to despair. Even in moments of mourning and darkness, we hold firmly to the belief that redemption can emerge from the cracks.

May we merit to witness the fulfilment of “זה משיח”, the coming of Mashiach, and may Hashem bring true and lasting peace to the entire world, rebuilding Jerusalem and transforming our mourning into joy.

Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Zalman & Esty