As discussed here, while doing Kiddush Levanah, we say "Shalom Aleichem" to 3 other people, and they respond back with "Aleichem Shalom". I've seen some people saying "Aleichem Shalom" together with the person responding to their "Sholom Aleichem".
Is this a custom? Is there a source for it? I didn't see anything written about it in the Siddur.
Answer
http://hebrewbooks.org/pdfpager.aspx?req=7167&st=&pgnum=56
The Sefer Zohar HaLevana explains that the reason we say Shalom Aleichem and then say Aleichem Shalom together, is that the first day Eliyahu Hanavi comes to announce the coming of Moshiach (three days before Moshiach comes), he will say "Shalom Ba L'olam, Shalom Ba L'olam". Therefore, after we say "Dovid Melech Yisroel..." (which refers to Moshiach) we also say Shalom twice, in the form of "Shalom Aleichem, Aleichem Shalom". [and if so, why do we not say it before "Dovid Melech..."? Because real peace will only come once Moshiach comes.]
Also, Zvi Ron quotes 16th Century Kabbalist R' Hertz as follows (see page 246 footnote 26):
after praying for the coming of the Messiah by saying ‘David, King of Israel, is alive and enduring,’ “since the birth pangs of the Messiah are many, it is incumbent upon us to pray and say each person to his friend ‘Shalom Aleichem, Aleichem Shalom.’ ”
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