Star Wars
Copyright Rabbi Eli Hecht
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When a 20 year old movie opens on 2,100 screens and becomes a weekend sellout, attention should be given to the film. There must be a message somewhere out there. $35.9 million is a very high amount to be spent on an "old movie." Why do we spend so much money for viewing something that has been available on home video for years? What attraction and message are out there in space?
The story of a father, Darth Vader, who falls to evil, the dark side, and is challenged by his son, Luke Skywalker, is extraordinary. The concept of "the force," an energy field created by all living things is almost mystical. The names Obi-Wan Kenobi, Chewbacca, Hans Solo and C-3PO are definitely not from this world.
In the film we are told of a wicked father, Darth Vader, who joins forces with the evil leader, the emperor who wishes to capture and kill his son Luke. George Lucas, the creator of Star Wars, is said to be puzzled by the unexplainable success of the movie. It's an old story of the battle between good and evil so why should it sell the way it does? Why has the attendance been of mixed ages, from four-year-olds to senior citizens?
I have a theory about the modern day Darth Vader. That he may symbolize corrupt leaders. Too many of our leaders are involved in scandal and exploitation. President Clinton, House Speaker Newt Gringrich and other elected officials spend time and effort explaining their actions. To many of us it's as if the dark side is winning.
The father figures of our glorious country are corrupted. What is needed, we think, is a Sky Walker, a young person, maybe naive, but willing to learn not to fall under the influence of the dark side and to vanquish the Empire!
We dream of such a time when there will be a Jedi force, with the bad guys fixing their problems and the good guys winning. Then true peace between people and their countries would exist! So we think!
However, in truth this is a fantasy.
We cannot run to a theater and see the dark side lose and believe when if we find a Luke, the heroic son, the corrupted father figure will be reformed and redeemed. Better that we look at ourselves.
There was a Chassidic leader, Rabbi Zushe of Annapol, who said, "When I die G‑d will not ask me why I wasn't like Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the great Jewish patriarchs. He will ask why wasn't I the Zushe I was supposed to be!" Why haven't I taken personal responsibility for my actions?
As in the film we must look to "the force", to G‑d, the real force. It is to him alone that we pray. We need G‑d to banish evil and to free the world from a dark side. We have the choice to choose goodness over evil.
G‑d, in His infinite mercy, has given us a chance to win over the one dark side we may all possess. If we do then we all become Sky Walkers, yielding to a heavenly call, uplifting our lives to a higher purpose, and making the world a G‑dly abode.
Remember, even Darth Vader gets redeemed when he is shown the truth. When leadership accepts the truth and takes responsibility for their actions, the good side wins.
Maybe our leadership should watch Star Wars and learn a lesson or two.