Maimonides (Rambam),  who lived 850 years ago, was one of the greatest Jewish scholars of all time. In his seminal work, a codification of Jewish Law called "Mishneh Torah," Maimonides explains the Torah's view of the ideal state of peace:

"The sages and prophets did not long for the Messianic era in order to rule the world, nor to subdue the nations, but to be free to pursue Torah and its wisdom. At that time there will be no hunger and no war, no jealousy and no strife. The entire world will be occupied with acquiring the knowledge of G-d as it says 'the world will be full of the knowledge of G-d as the waters cover the sea.' "
      ISAIAH 11:9

A testimony to the Jewish vision of world peace can be found at the headquarters of the modern institution dedicated to world peace: the United Nations.

On the outside wall of the General Assembly Headquarters in Manhattan is the motto of the UN, engraved on the "Isaiah Wall":

"And they shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks.   Nation shall not lift up sword against nation. Neither shall they learn war anymore."
      ISAIAH 2:4

The UN recognizes that the utopian vision of peace, brotherhood, and harmony is a Jewish invention expressed by Isaiah about 2,500 years ago. The Jewish People brought it to the world thousands of years ago, and we have been longing for it ever since.

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