Background
Oseh shalom is commonly found as a concluding sentence in many prayers, including the birkat hamazon, kaddish, and personal amidah prayers. It originates from the book of Job, a subsection of Ketuvim in the Tenach.
In this book, Job is a righteous man who struggles with misfortune. He goes to the wisest people in his village to try to find out why bad things keep happening to him.
Job says:
He is one; who can dissuade Him?
Whatever He desires, He does.
When I consider, I dread Him.
One wise person, Bildad the Shuhite, replies:
הַמְשֵׁ֣ל וָפַ֣חַד עִמּ֑וֹ עֹשֶׂ֥ה שָׁ֝ל֗וֹם בִּמְרוֹמָֽיו׃
Dominion and dread are His;
He imposes peace in His heights.
What did this phrase mean to the sages?
In the Midrash, Rabbis debated about different ways to understand this text. Only a few parts of their debate are shown below.
דָּבָר אַחֵר (דברים כ, י): וְקָרָאתָ אֵלֶיהָת עַמּוֹ בַשָּׁלוֹם.
Alternatively, "proclaim peace unto it" (Deuteronomy 20), See how great is the power of peace.
Alternatively: Dear is peace, that the Holy One Blessed Be He gave it to Zion, as it says "Ask for the peace of Jerusalem". (Psalms 122)
Alternatively: Dear is peace, that the Holy One Blessed Be He gave in the heavens, as it says "He makes peace in His high places". (Job 25)
Alternatively: Dear is peace, that the Holy One Blessed Be He gave it to near ones and far ones, as it says "Peace peace, to the far and to the near". (Isaiah 57)
Alternatively: Dear is peace, that the Holy One Blessed Be He did not give it to the wicked, as it says "There is no peace, said G-d, for the wicked". (Isaiah 48)
Translations of Oseh Shalom
עֹשֶׂה שָׁלוֹם בִּמְרוֹמָיו. הוּא יַעֲשֶׂה שָׁלוֹם עָלֵינוּ וְעַל כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל. וְאִמְרוּ אָמֵן:
עוֹשה שָׁלוֹם בעשי”ת: הַשָּׁלום בִּמְרומָיו הוּא יַעֲשה שָׁלום עָלֵינוּ וְעַל כָּל יִשרָאֵל וְאִמְרוּ אָמֵן: [קהל: אמן]
Oseh shalom bimromav, hu ya’aseh shalom aleinu v’al kol-yisrael, v’imru: “amen.”
וְעַל כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל
On All of Israel
עֹשֶׂה שָׁלוֹם (בעשי"ת הַשָּׁלוֹם) בִּמְרוֹמָיו. הוּא יַעֲשֶׂה שָׁלוֹם עָלֵינוּ וְעַל כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל. וְאִמְרוּ אָמֵן:
Abbreviated, Personal Mourner’s Ḳaddish for when Praying Alone or Without a Minyan (Nusaḥ Ashkenaz), by Isaac Gantwerk Mayer
May the Maker of peace above
make peace upon me
and upon all Israel.
Ḳaddish Shalem, translated by Rabbi Dr. Jakob Petuchowski (1966)
עַל כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל
וְעַל כָּל יוֺשְׁבֵי תֵבֶל
On All of Israel
and All Who Dwell on Earth
Ivdu et Hashem b’Simḥah by Rabbi David Zaslow (1997, 2003)
עוֹשֶׂה שָׁלוֹם בִּמְרוֹמָיו
הוּא יַעֲשֶׂה שָׁלוֹם עָלֵינוּ
וְעַל כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל וְעַל כָּל יוֺשְׁבֵי תֵבֶל
וְאִמְרוּ אָמֵן׃
May the One who sends this wholeness from the highest, deepest places —
may the One send peace to me, to us,
to Israel, to the whole world, and to the planet.
And let us say Amen.
Dr. Everett Fox’s English translation of the Mourner’s Ḳaddish, “in the spirit of Franz Rosenzweig”
Maker of peace in the abode-on-high,
may God make peace
for us and for all Israel,
and for all who dwell on earth,
and say, Amen!
Mourner’s Ḳaddish for a Minyan of Ten People (including Jews and non-Jews), by Rabbi David Seidenberg (2018)
The One who makes Peace
in the furthest reaches of Creation
will bring Peace to us
and to all living beings.
And let us say: ([Everyone:] Amen.)
"Mourner’s Ḳaddish, an interpretive rhyming translation" by Alan Wagman (2013)
Oh, say, “Shalom,” this is love,
and when we say, “Shalom,” we name You,
joined with all Yisrael,
(and all the world).
Blessed be You, Amein.
"Mourner’s Ḳaddish, interpretive translation" by Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi (2013)
You, who harmonize it all
on the highest planes –
bring harmony and peace to us,
to all Israel and all sentient beings
As we express our agreement and hope
by saying: *AMEN*
“Mourners Kaddish in Time of War and Violence” by Rabbi Waskow (2006)
עוֹשֶׂה שָׁלוֹם בִּמְרוֹמָיו
הוּא יַעֲשֶׂה שָׁלוֹם עָלֵינוּ
וְעַל כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל
וְעַל כָּל יִשְׁמָאֵל
וְעַל כָּל יוֺשְׁבֵי תֵבֶל
וְאִמְרוּ אָמֵן. (קהל: אָמֵן)
You who make harmony
in the ultimate reaches of the universe,
teach us to make harmony
within ourselves, among ourselves —
and peace for all the children of Abraham,
through Hagar and through Sarah —
the children of Israel;
the children of Ishmael;
and for all who dwell upon this planet.
(Cong: Amen)