וחיים, ושלום
AND LIFE AND PEACE
We request ‘life’; life is the climax of all our requests, for life is the grand gift of Opportunity of Perfection. There is no greater blessing than life, even in its barest form, and it is the greatest form of ‘the light of Hashem’s face’ that we request and that we must constantly thank Him for. However, in order to successfully utilize this great gift of life, one must have “שלום”. Thus, in our last words we cry out to Hashem our final and ultimate request, the one word that includes everything else: “שלום”, “Peace!”