Peace is an underlying principle of the Torah, and the Hebrew word for peace, shalom, appears hundreds of times in the Bible. The concept of peace in the Torah is more than just the absence of conflict, but rather a state of well-being and wholeness that comes from right relationships with God, others, and creation.
Peace represented in the Torah:
The Talmud: The Talmud explains that the entire Torah is for the sake of shalom.
Psalm 34:15: The Psalm instructs people to "seek peace and pursue it".
The greeting "shalom": The traditional greeting "shalom" literally means "peace" and is used to ask how someone is doing.
The Midrash on Deuteronomy 20 v. 10: This Midrash explores the virtues of peace.
Leviticus Rabbah 9:9: Rabbis taught that shalom is one of God's secret names.
While Judaism is not pacifistic, it does minimize violence and requires that peace be offered before an attack. Biblical morality also opposes violence when a nonviolent solution is possible.