The Star Wars saga has some obvious Jewish links and references, which have been discussed by fans for a long time. Take the names of some of the characters:

Yoda- the sage creature, his name is just like the Hebrew word “Yodea” the knowledgeable one. You can almost imagine him as a little old Jewish grandmother, with a brilliant wit but no grasp of syntax: “no lightbulb need I. Sit in the the dark I will.”

Obi-wan Kenobi is referred to as Ben Kenobi. A navi is a prophet in Hebrew, so his name means- one who is “like a prophet,” and indeed that is his role in the original Star wars.

Or, take a line in the one of the first scenes in the original movie. The two robots C3PO and R2D2 wander in the desert on Tatooine. C3PO bemoans his fate: "We seem to be made to suffer. That's our lot in life." These are Jewish robots- they put the “oy” in “droids.”

More so than that, the movies take a Jewish perspective on the nature of family. When we first saw episodes 4-6 – the original Star Wars, Empire Strikes Back, and Jedi, we thought the trilogy was a bildungsroman; It was the space opera story of Luke becoming a hero- conquering his urges, becoming who he was to be, becoming a true Jedi. Darth Vader was a minor character, the villain. Now that we have seen the first story, we realize that at the very least, it parallels the first. Many of the things that Luke goes through- training with Kenobi, temptations of the dark side, love for a princess, losing his hand in combat, are echoes of things that his father went through in episodes 1-3.

Our sages often noticed the same types of links between the generations in our Jewish story. They say “Ma’aseh Avot Siman L’vanim”- the deeds of the parents are a sign for the children. Abel, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph: the younger brother is always chosen over the elder. Eliezer, searching for a wife for Isaac, finds Rebecca at the well, and then Jacob and Moses find their beloveds there as well. Moses experiences God’s presence while sheltered in a crevice, and so does Elijah. Abraham, twice, passes off his wife as his sister, and then Isaac, too, is discovered being intimate with a woman who he claims his is sister. Luke and Leia indeed!

Certain patterns of behavior replay themselves in families. This can sometimes be a good thing, as we as a Jewish family replay our heritage. However, sometimes this can be a negative, for we can also inherit patterns of addiction, abuse, or just garden-variety dysfunction, and it requires extra care and force of character to break out of negative patterns that are passed down through the generations.

Ultimately, the Star Wars saga is meant to convey Lucas’s understandings about the nature of the universe, good and evil and of human beings. While Lucas is not Jewish, and some aspects of the story are outside the pale of Jewish belief there are many others that are instructive. Lucas presents the idea that there is a “Force” which has both a dark side and a light side, and holds the universe together (I suppose the same could be said of duct tape). It is found both within people and in the larger cosmos. Lucas’s idea of the force matches the Kabbalistic view of the universe, that good and evil are two sides of the same coin. There is an evil force, the “sitra achra” – the “other side.”

In the Jewish tradition, (Talmud Berachot 61a) the sages teach that the word which describe God’s creation of man, “Vayitzar” is spelled with two of the letter yod, to indicate that we have two urges, a yetzer tov, and a yetzer ra- good and bad urges respectively. Another way to explain it is that the Yetzer Ra is the selfish urge. The Yetzer Tov is the selfless urge. Our tradition emphasizes the importance of conquering the evil urge. For example, Ben Zoma teaches (Avot 4:1) that the one who is truly strong is the one who can overcome his urges. Furthermore, in the Kabbalistic tradition, evil is be represented by “Klipot” or hardened shells, which surround the scattered fragments of light.

Within that context, we see that the entire tale, which we might have thought was the story of Luke Skywalker is really the story of Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader, a story of his fall and his redemption. It reflects the way in which the battle between good and evil is played out within each of us. The suit of armor which both protects and entraps Anakin is can be seen as a physical representation of the “Klipah” that surrounds the light of his soul.

Much is made in “Sith” of the difference between the dark and light urges, and how Anakin’s selfishness is what leads him into darkness. Without descending too deeply into the psychobabble, I will point out that the name Anakin, in Hebrew, sounds very similar to Ani Kan- “I am here.” There are two ways in which we can say “I am here.” We can say it in the way which matches the Yiddish “Ich Bin Doh.” I am here, so now the world owes me something. The alternative is the Hebrew word Hineni, which implies presence and readiness to do the bidding of the Holy One (for example Abraham expressing his willingness to sacrifice his son, Isaac, and then recognizing God’s command to halt the sacrifice). In the Star Wars saga, Anakin Skywalker goes from one “ani-kan” to another. At first, he is frustrated because his talents are not recognized, and he sinks into selfishness. But then, he (I believe) repents, does teshuvah, and is redeemed when he engages in a selfless act saving Luke from the Emperor.

In the Jewish tradition, the Cohen Gadol, the high priest, wears a special breastplate with shining jewels, inscribed with the names of the tribes. He uses the breastplate to receive guidance from God. L’havdil (that’s Hebrew for “I’m making a comparison that I really shouldn’t make), Darth Vader also has a chestplate. Presumably he uses it to seek guidance from the emperor, but more importantly, it has a message that says something about At any rate, as it turns out, someone at Skywalker Ranch must have gone to Hebrew school, because the writing on his breastplate is in Hebrew (you can see a picture at http://www.theforce.net/swtc/Pix/Xsydney/costumes/Pc220044.jpg). It must not have been a very good Hebrew school, because it’s hard to read, the spelling isn’t perfect and one word is upside down. What it seems to say is “Ein Ma’asav nimchalim ad shezakah”- “his deeds are not forgiven until he was worthy.”

It is important to emphasize some distinctive features of the Jewish view of repentance. Maimonides (Hilchot Teshuvah 2:1) notes that one’s teshuvah is not complete until one is presented with the same situation that one was in previously, and resists the temptation. Anakin Skywalker had, many years before, had the opportunity to save the innocent and put a stop to the Emperor’s reign, and did not. Now, in the same situation, as Darth Vader, he rights that cosmic wrong.

Repentance is not simply an psychological matter, of accepting some savior or making some internal resolution. It requires action. Moreover, it is not without its cost. One of the most moving, and puzzling stories in the Talmud is found in Avodah Zarah 18a. Rabbi Hananiah Ben Teradyon has been sentenced to death, by burning at the stake, with wet wool over his heart so he will die slowly. The Roman questionarius is impressed by Teradyon’s faith and determination and asks “If I increase the fire, and remove the wool so that you die, will you take me to eternal life with you?” Rabbi Hananiah ben Teradyon replies “Yes.” The Questionarius ends the rabbi’s torture, and himself is engulfed in the flames, as a heavenly voice cries out that both rabbi and Questionarius are welcome in the world to come.

There are many puzzling aspects to the story, but one thing is clear- that no matter what one may have done, the doorway of repentance is open, but the cost of admission is not free. Vader redeems himself by doing the right thing where he once did wrong, and turns back from evil, but it is at the cost of his life.

Most of us do not live our lives at the extremes of good and evil. Even so, as we see the movie we recognize that our role in the universe is not limited to ourselves- parents and children have the ability to redeem each other through their actions. Many times I have seen a young parent, distanced from Judaism, who returns for the sake of childrens’ continuing connection to our faith. Conversely, tragically, many children only find their Jewish roots when they begin saying kaddish for a parent. It is not just long, long ago, in a galaxy far, far away, that parents and children may redeem each other. Let it not be at the terrible, ultimate cost.

So, if you go to see this movie, first of all I recommend an earlier show. But more than that, consider these points:

When you get “into” some aspect of popular culture, will you give as much thought and attention to your Jewish study? For better or worse, we are products of our family. The rabbis said ma'aseh avot siman l'banim- the children replay the events of the fathers. That does not mean that if your mom had a haircut that looks like two croissants tacked to the side of her head, someday you must do the same, but it means that we must be vigilant for the positives and negatives of our family legacy. We have the ability to draw our parents, and our children, back to the tradition, and they may draw us as well.

Finally, we can observe a profound lesson about the nature of human beings and repentance- we are drawn between good and evil. Selfishness need not win. At any point we can be redeemed, if we are willing to do what is necessary.

Shabbat shalom, and may the force be with you.