DEUT987 [Continued from [[NUM268]] Numbers 20:29 AMEMEI 211 bewailed]. Peace is the vehicle, the vessel, of prayer, and that is why both the Priestly Blessing and the final blessing of the Silent Prayer end with peace (Bamidbar Rabbah 11:7), as it says that God will bless His people with (the vessel of) peace (Psalms 29:11). Many laws for Jews (such as the order of calling people up to the Torah) as well as for non-Jews (such as burying their dead if they live in the same neighborhood) were instituted to ensure a more peaceful coexistence among people (Gittin 59b). In describing the Torah scholar, the talmid chacham, Maimonides (Hilchot De'ot 5:7) lists as one of the requirements that this person have the quality of peace before he can assume the mantle of leadership. Therefore, two Torah scholars living in the same city must have peace between them or they are either exiled or put to death (Sotah 49a). Even in preparing to attack a sworn enemy, the Torah says one must first try to achieve a peaceful coexistence [this and following verses]. It was a lack of peace between brothers, the sons of Jacob as they fought with Joseph, (Megillah 16b) that eventually caused the Jewish people terrible pain and suffering. Therefore, one of the purposes of the world today is to promote peace among Jews (Sefer Hachinuch, Mitzvah #243).