Star Wars & Judaism VIII: The Force Awakens

(1) Ten genealogical classes went up from Babylonia [in the time of Ezra and Nehemiah]: Priests, Levites, Israelites, halalim, converts, freed slaves, mamzerim, netinim, hushlings and foundlings. Priests, Levites and Israelites may marry each other. Levites, Israelites, halalim, converts, and freed slaves may marry each other. Converts, freed slaves, mamzerim and netinim, hushlings and foundlings, may marry each other.

And Rabbi Yoḥanan said from the name of Rabbi Yose: "Moses requested three things from the Holy One, Blessed be He, all of which were granted him. He requested that the Divine Presence rest upon Israel, and He granted it to him, as it is stated: 'For how can it be known that I have found grace in Your sight, I and Your people? Is it not in that You go with us, so that we are distinguished, I and Your people, from all the people that are on the face of the earth?' (Exodus 33:16).

He requested that the Divine Presence not rest upon the nations of the world, and He granted it to him, as it is stated: 'So that we are distinguished, I and Your people, from all the people on the face of the earth' (Exodus 33:16).

He requested that the ways in which God conducts the world be revealed to him, and He granted it to him, as it is stated: 'Show me Your ways and I will know You' (Exodus 33:13).
He said before Him: 'Master of the Universe. Why is it that the righteous prosper, the righteous suffer, the wicked prosper, the wicked suffer?'
He said to him: 'Moses, the righteous who prospers is a righteous, the son of a righteous. The righteous who suffers is a righteous , the son of a wicked. The wicked who prospers is a wicked , the son of a righteous. The wicked who suffers is a wicked person, the son of a wicked person.'"

The Sages taught: One who eats in the marketplace is comparable to a dog,

And some say: "He is disqualified from bearing witness."

...wives of poor men don't drink wine.

Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: "When the Holy One, Blessed be He, said to Adam: 'Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to you, and you shall eat the herb of the field' (Genesis 3:18), his eyes streamed with tears. He said before Him: 'Master of the Universe, will my donkey and I eat from one trough?' After God said to him: 'In the sweat of your face shall you eat bread' (Genesis 3:19), his mind was settled."

(18) Rabban Shimon ben Gamaliel used to say: on three things does the world stand: On justice, on truth and on peace, as it is said: “execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates” (Zechariah 8:16).

The Sages taught: How does one dance before the bride?

Beit Shammai say:

"The bride as she is."

And Beit Hillel say: "A fair and attractive bride."

Beit Shammai said to Beit Hillel: In a case where the bride was lame or blind, does one say with regard to her: A fair and attractive bride? But the Torah states: “Keep you from a false matter” (Exodus 23:7). Beit Hillel said to Beit Shammai: According to your statement, with regard to one who acquired an inferior acquisition from the market, should another praise it and enhance its value in his eyes or condemn it and diminish its value in his eyes? You must say that he should praise it and enhance its value in his eyes and refrain from causing him anguish. From here the Sages said: A person’s disposition should always be empathetic with mankind, and treat everyone courteously. In this case too, once the groom has married his bride, one praises her as being fair and attractive.

It was taught in a baraita that Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar says in the name of Ḥilfa bar Agra, who said in the name of Rabbi Yoḥanan ben Nuri: One who rends his garments in his anger, or who breaks his vessels in his anger, or who scatters his money in his anger, should be like an idol worshipper in your eyes, as that is the craft of the evil inclination. Today it tells him do this, and tomorrow it tells him do that, until eventually, when he no longer controls himself, it tells him worship idols and he goes and worships idols.

When Rav Dimi came, he said: "From where one who is owed one hundred dinars by another and knows that the borrower does not have the funds to repay him, that it is prohibited for him to pass before? Learn to say: 'Do not be to him as a creditor' (Exodus 22:24)."

With ten trials was Abraham, our father, may peace be upon him, tried, and he withstood them all; to make known how great was the love of Abraham, our father, peace be upon him.

Ah, Those who call evil good And good evil; Who present darkness as light And light as darkness; Who present bitter as sweet And sweet as bitter!

“He has told you, O man, what is good, And what the LORD requires of you: Only to do justice And to love goodness, And to walk modestly with your God."

Joshua ben Perahiah used to say: "Appoint for thyself a teacher, and acquire for thyself a companion, and judge all men with the scale weighted in his favor."