*What is the rationale for learning from Star Wars (or any other source) about our Judaism?
Rebbe of Sadgura, Rabbi Avrohom Yakov Friedman:
The Rebbe once said to his students, ‘We can learn something from everything: we may learn not only from things God has created, but also from the creations of humans.’
One of his students asked, “What can we learn from a train?”
The Rebbe responded, “That because of one second a person can miss everything.”
Another student piped up, ‘But what can we learn from the telegraph?”
(Kids, are you familiar with this one?)
“We can learn that every word is counted and charged.”
And a third student asked, “And what can we learn from the telephone?”
The Rebbe responded, “That what we say here is heard there.”
(א) רַבִּי אוֹמֵר, אֵיזוֹהִי דֶרֶךְ יְשָׁרָה שֶׁיָּבֹר לוֹ הָאָדָם, כֹּל שֶׁהִיא תִפְאֶרֶת לְעוֹשֶׂיהָ וְתִפְאֶרֶת לוֹ מִן הָאָדָם. וֶהֱוֵי זָהִיר בְּמִצְוָה קַלָּה כְבַחֲמוּרָה, שֶׁאֵין אַתָּה יוֹדֵעַ מַתַּן שְׂכָרָן שֶׁל מִצְוֹת.
And be careful with a light commandment as with a grave one, for you did know not the reward for the fulfillment of the commandments.
The way of the Jedi is pursuing wisdom, developing connection to the force as a source of power. For Jews, we seek to connect to God, through the Torah, as the source of our power, inspiration, and wisdom.
Yoda is a version of the Hebrew verb Yod-Daled-Ayin meaning 'to know', knowledge.
(ז) רַבִּי נַחְמָן בַּר שְׁמוּאֵל בַּר נַחְמָן בְּשֵׁם רַב שְׁמוּאֵל בַּר נַחְמָן אָמַר, הִנֵּה טוֹב מְאֹד, זֶה יֵצֶר טוֹב. וְהִנֵּה טוֹב מְאֹד, זֶה יֵצֶר רָע. וְכִי יֵצֶר הָרָע טוֹב מְאֹד, אֶתְמְהָא. אֶלָּא שֶׁאִלּוּלֵי יֵצֶר הָרָע לֹא בָּנָה אָדָם בַּיִת, וְלֹא נָשָׂא אִשָּׁה, וְלֹא הוֹלִיד, וְלֹא נָשָׂא וְנָתַן. וְכֵן שְׁלֹמֹה אוֹמֵר (קהלת ד, ד): כִּי הִיא קִנְאַת אִישׁ מֵרֵעֵהוּ.
(7) Rabbi Nahman said in Rabbi Samuel's name: 'Behold, it was good' refers to the Good Desire; 'And behold, it was very good' refers to the Evil Desire. (It only says 'very good' after man was created with both the good and bad inclinations, in all other cases it only says 'and God saw that it was good') Can then the Evil Desire be very good? That would be extraordinary! But without the Evil Desire, however, no man would build a house, take a wife and beget children; and thus said Solomon: 'Again, I considered all labour and all excelling in work, that it is a man's rivalry with his neighbour.' (Ecclesiastes 4:4).
The fundamental issue in Star Wars is the nature of good and evil. There is the good side of the force (friendship, hope, self-defense) and there is the dark side (anger, fear, aggression). The force itself is value neutral, the question is how will each individual access this force?
God is the source of both good and evil.
(ב) יצר הרע כיצד אמרו שלש עשרה שנה גדול יצר הרע מיצר טוב ממעי אמו של אדם היה גדל ובא עמו והתחיל מחלל שבתות אין ממחה בידו [הורג נפשות אין ממחה בידו הולך לדבר עבירה אין ממחה בידו] לאחר י״ג שנה נולד יצר טוב כיון שמחלל שבתות א״ל ריקה הרי הוא אומר (שמות ל״א:י״ד) מחלליה מות יומת. הורג נפשות א״ל ריקה הרי הוא אומר (בראשית ט׳:ו׳) שופך דם האדם באדם דמו ישפך. הולך לדבר עבירה אומר לו ריקה הרי הוא אומר (ויקרא כ׳:י׳) מות יומת הנואף והנואפת. בזמן שאדם מחמם את עצמו והולך לדבר זימה כל אבריו נשמעין לו מפני שיצה״ר מלך הוא על מאתים וארבעים ושמונה אברים. כשהוא הולך לדבר מצוה התחילו מתענין (לו) כל אבריו מפני שיצר הרע שבמעיו מלך הוא על מאתים וארבעים ושמונה אברים שבאדם ויצר טוב אינו דומה אלא למי שהוא חבוש בבית האסורין שנאמר (קהלת ד׳:י״ד) [כי] מבית הסורים יצא למלוך זה יצר טוב וי״א זה יוסף הצדיק כשבאתה אותה רשעה היתה מענה אותו בדבריה אמרה לו אני אחבשך בבית האסורין אמר לה ה׳ מתיר אסורים אמרה לו אני אנקר את עיניך אמר לה ה׳ פוקח עורים אמרה לו אני אכפוף את קומתך אמר לה ה׳ זוקף כפופים (אמרה לו אני עושה אותך רשע אמר לה ה' אוהב צדיקים אמרה לו אני עושה אותך ארמאי אמר לה ה׳ שומר את גרים עד שאמר איך אעשה הרעה הגדולה הזאת) אל תתמה על יוסף הצדיק שהרי רבי צדוק היה גדול הדור כשנשבה נטלתו מטרוניתא אחת ושגרה לו שפחה אחת יפה כיון שראה אותה נתן עיניו בכותל שלא יראנה והיה יושב ושונה כל הלילה לשחרית הלכה והקבילה אצל גבירתה אמרה לה שוה לי המות משתתנני לאיש הזה שלחה וקראה לו ואמרה לו מפני מה לא עשית עם אשה זאת כדרך שיעשו בני אדם אמר לה ומה אעשה מכהונה גדולה אני ממשפחה גדולה אני אמרתי שמא אבא עליה והרביתי ממזרים כישראל כיון ששמעה דבריו צותה עליו ופטרתו בכבוד...
(2) The Evil Urge. How so? They say that for the first thirteen years [of a person’s life] the Evil Urge is greater than the Good Urge. There in his mother’s womb, a person’s Evil Urge grows with him. [After he emerges into the world,] he starts breaking the Sabbath, and nothing is there to stop him; [killing people, and nothing is there to stop him; going out to sin, and nothing is there to stop him.]
After thirteen years, the Good Urge is born. Then when he breaks the Sabbath, it says to him: Empty one! Isn’t it written (Exodus 31:14), “One who breaks it will surely die”? When he kills, it says to him: Empty one! Isn’t it written (Genesis 9:6), “One who spills the blood of a person, his own blood will be spilled”? When he goes out to sin, it says to him: Empty one! Isn’t it written (Leviticus 20:16), “Both the adulterer and the adulteress shall be put to death”?
(3) Rabbi Reuven ben Itzrubali would say: How can a person stay away from the Evil Urge inside of him?...The Evil Urge rules only over the doors of the heart, as it says (Genesis 4:7), “Sin crouches at the door.” From the first moment that an infant is placed in the crib, (this man) is trying to kill you. He wants to pluck you out by your hair. When an infant is placed in his crib, he will place his hand onto a snake or a scorpion’s stinger. It is the Evil Urge inside of him that causes him to do this. He will place his hand onto fiery coals and it will be burned. It is the Evil Urge inside of him that causes him to do this. (For the Evil Urge wants to throw him into the fire.) But look at a baby goat or sheep! When they see a well, they back up away from it, because there is no Evil Urge in an animal.
Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar would say: I will give you a parable. What (is [the Evil Urge] like)? The Evil Urge is like a piece of steel that they put into the fire. While it is in the fire, they can make any tool they wish from it. So it is with the Evil Urge. There is no way to fix it except with words of Torah alone ([which are like fire]), as it says (Proverbs 25:21–22), “If your enemy is hungry, feed him bread. If he is thirsty, give him water. You will be heaping fiery coals on his head, and the Eternal will reward you.” Do not read it as “reward you” (yeshalem lekha) but “give you peace” (yashlim lekha).
Rabbi Yehudah HaNasi would say: I will give you a parable: What (is [the Evil Urge] like)? The Evil Urge is like two people who go into an inn. One is captured by robbers. They say to him: Who is with you? He could easily say: No one else was with me. But he says to himself: Since I am going to be killed, my friend should be killed with me. So it is with the Evil Urge, which says: Since I will be lost in the World to Come, (I) want take the whole body with me!
Ein Sof (The eternal God) was everywhere before creation. Ein Sof contracted to create a vacuum for creation to happen. Into the vacuum Ein Sof emanated a ray of light, channeled through vessels. At first everything went smoothly, but as the emanation proceeded, some of the vessels could not withstand the power of the light, and they shattered. Most of the light returned to its infinite source, but the rest fell as sparks, along with the shards of the vessels. Eventually these sparks became trapped in material existence. The human task is to liberate, or raise, these sparks to restore them to divinity. This process of tiqqun (repair or mending) is accomplished through living a life of holiness. All human actions either promote or impede tiqqun, thus hastening or delaying the arrival of the Messiah.
(Daniel Matt, The Essential Kabbalah, p. 15)
(21) And the LORD said to Moses, “When you return to Egypt, see that you perform before Pharaoh all the marvels that I have put within your power. I, however, will stiffen his heart so that he will not let the people go.
Hardening of the heart occurs 20 times - half attributed to 'essential attribute' of a man's character, half to divine cause
The 'Hardening of the heart' expresses a state of arrogant moral degeneracy unresponsive to reason and incapable of compassion. In the first 5 plagues Pharaoh's obduracy is self-willed. It is only afterward attributed to divine causality. This is the biblical way of asserting that the king's intransigence has by then become habitual and irreversible; his character has become his destiny. He is deprived of the possibility of relenting and is irresistibly impelled to his self-wrought doom.(Nahum Sarna, JPS Commentary to Exodus, p. 23)
Anakin and Ben Solo both allow themselves to be persuaded by the Emperor to turn to the dark side. Then they make so many choices that keep them on that path until an outsider, Luke or Ray, can perform tikkun and raise the sparks of holiness that were inside them.
(כ) אֱלִישָׁע בֶּן אֲבוּיָה אוֹמֵר, הַלּוֹמֵד יֶלֶד לְמַה הוּא דוֹמֶה, לִדְיוֹ כְתוּבָה עַל נְיָר חָדָשׁ. וְהַלּוֹמֵד זָקֵן לְמַה הוּא דוֹמֶה, לִדְיוֹ כְתוּבָה עַל נְיָר מָחוּק. רַבִּי יוֹסֵי בַר יְהוּדָה אִישׁ כְּפַר הַבַּבְלִי אוֹמֵר, הַלּוֹמֵד מִן הַקְּטַנִּים לְמַה הוּא דוֹמֶה, לְאֹכֵל עֲנָבִים קֵהוֹת וְשׁוֹתֶה יַיִן מִגִּתּוֹ. וְהַלּוֹמֵד מִן הַזְּקֵנִים לְמַה הוּא דוֹמֶה, לְאֹכֵל עֲנָבִים בְּשֵׁלוֹת וְשׁוֹתֶה יַיִן יָשָׁן. רַבִּי אוֹמֵר, אַל תִּסְתַּכֵּל בַּקַּנְקַן, אֶלָּא בְמַה שֶּׁיֶּשׁ בּוֹ. יֵשׁ קַנְקַן חָדָשׁ מָלֵא יָשָׁן, וְיָשָׁן שֶׁאֲפִלּוּ חָדָשׁ אֵין בּוֹ:
(20) Elisha ben Abuyah said: He who learns when a child, to what is he compared? To ink written upon a new writing sheet. And he who learns when an old man, to what is he compared? To ink written on a rubbed writing sheet. Rabbi Yose ben Judah a man of Kfar Ha-babli said: He who learns from the young, to what is he compared? To one who eats unripe grapes, and drinks wine from his vat; And he who learns from the old, to what is he compared? To one who eats ripe grapes, and drinks old wine. Rabbi said: don’t look at the container but at that which is in it: there is a new container full of old wine, and an old [container] in which there is not even new [wine].
(ז) וְדַע, שֶׁהָאָדָם צָרִיךְ לַעֲבֹר עַל גֶּשֶׁר צַר מְאֹד מְאֹד, וְהַכְּלָל וְהָעִקָּר – שֶׁלֹּא יִתְפַּחֵד כְּלָל:
(7) Know, too! a person must cross a very, very narrow bridge. The main rule is: Do not be frightened at all!
(א) הַ֥לְלוּ יָ֨הּ ׀ כִּי־ט֭וֹב זַמְּרָ֣ה אֱלֹקֵ֑ינוּ כִּֽי־נָ֝עִים נָאוָ֥ה תְהִלָּֽה׃ (ב) בּוֹנֵ֣ה יְרוּשָׁלִַ֣ם ה' נִדְחֵ֖י יִשְׂרָאֵ֣ל יְכַנֵּֽס׃ (ג) הָ֭רֹפֵא לִשְׁב֣וּרֵי לֵ֑ב וּ֝מְחַבֵּ֗שׁ לְעַצְּבוֹתָֽם׃ (ד) מוֹנֶ֣ה מִ֭סְפָּר לַכּוֹכָבִ֑ים לְ֝כֻלָּ֗ם שֵׁמ֥וֹת יִקְרָֽא׃ (ה) גָּד֣וֹל אֲדוֹנֵ֣ינוּ וְרַב־כֹּ֑חַ לִ֝תְבוּנָת֗וֹ אֵ֣ין מִסְפָּֽר׃ (ו) מְעוֹדֵ֣ד עֲנָוִ֣ים ה' מַשְׁפִּ֖יל רְשָׁעִ֣ים עֲדֵי־אָֽרֶץ׃ (ז) עֱנ֣וּ לַה' בְּתוֹדָ֑ה זַמְּר֖וּ לֵאלֹקֵ֣ינוּ בְכִנּֽוֹר׃ (ח) הַֽמְכַסֶּ֬ה שָׁמַ֨יִם ׀ בְּעָבִ֗ים הַמֵּכִ֣ין לָאָ֣רֶץ מָטָ֑ר הַמַּצְמִ֖יחַ הָרִ֣ים חָצִֽיר׃ (ט) נוֹתֵ֣ן לִבְהֵמָ֣ה לַחְמָ֑הּ לִבְנֵ֥י עֹ֝רֵ֗ב אֲשֶׁ֣ר יִקְרָֽאוּ׃ (י) לֹ֤א בִגְבוּרַ֣ת הַסּ֣וּס יֶחְפָּ֑ץ לֹֽא־בְשׁוֹקֵ֖י הָאִ֣ישׁ יִרְצֶֽה׃ (יא) רוֹצֶ֣ה ה' אֶת־יְרֵאָ֑יו אֶת־הַֽמְיַחֲלִ֥ים לְחַסְדּֽוֹ׃
(1) Hallelujah. It is good to chant hymns to our God; it is pleasant to sing glorious praise. (2) The LORD rebuilds Jerusalem; He gathers in the exiles of Israel. (3) He heals their broken hearts, and binds up their wounds. (4) He reckoned the number of the stars; to each He gave its name. (5) Great is our Lord and full of power; His wisdom is beyond reckoning. (6) The LORD gives courage to the lowly, and brings the wicked down to the dust. (7) Sing to the LORD a song of praise, chant a hymn with a lyre to our God, (8) who covers the heavens with clouds, provides rain for the earth, makes mountains put forth grass; (9) who gives the beasts their food, to the raven’s brood what they cry for. (10) He does not prize the strength of horses, nor value the fleetness of men; (11) but the LORD values those who fear Him, those who depend on His faithful care...
(טז) הוּא הָיָה אוֹמֵר, לֹא עָלֶיךָ הַמְּלָאכָה לִגְמֹר, וְלֹא אַתָּה בֶן חוֹרִין לִבָּטֵל מִמֶּנָּה. אִם לָמַדְתָּ תוֹרָה הַרְבֵּה, נוֹתְנִים לְךָ שָׂכָר הַרְבֵּה. וְנֶאֱמָן הוּא בַעַל מְלַאכְתְּךָ שֶׁיְּשַׁלֵּם לְךָ שְׂכַר פְּעֻלָּתֶךָ. וְדַע מַתַּן שְׂכָרָן שֶׁל צַדִּיקִים לֶעָתִיד לָבֹא:
(16) He [Rabbi Tarfon] used to say: It is not your duty to finish the work, but neither are you at liberty to neglect it; If you have studied much Torah, you shall be given much reward. Faithful is your employer to pay you the reward of your labor; And know that the grant of reward unto the righteous is in the age to come.
(טו) הַכֹּל צָפוּי, וְהָרְשׁוּת נְתוּנָה, וּבְטוֹב הָעוֹלָם נִדּוֹן. וְהַכֹּל לְפִי רֹב הַמַּעֲשֶׂה:
(15) Everything is foreseen yet freedom of choice is granted, And the world is judged with goodness; And everything is in accordance with the preponderance of works.
Masters of the shields - The scholars who battle one another on Jewish law and thought.