Yetzer Wars!

YETZER HATOV / YETZER HARA - "MAY THE HAKOACH WITH YOU"

This description gets heavy so as the wryly Han Solo once said, “Go strap yourselves in. I'm gonna make the jump to light speed!"
In Jewish tradition, it is understood that we are all born with two inclinations: the Yetzer Hatov (the inclination toward good) and the Yetzer Hara (the inclination toward evil). But here's what many get wrong—it's not about defeating one and embracing the other. It's about mastering both energies to pave a path of righteousness.

The Yetzer Hara which includes negative impulses like selfishness, ego, and base primal desire; it also is the driver of essential traits such as ambition, competitiveness, and productivity. Without it, you're prone to be passive and ineffectual.

The Yetzer Hatov on the other hand guides morality, ethics and compassion, feeding off the G-d given inclination to make the world a better place (and our Jewish mothers proud!). But without any edge, without drive, you’ll likely accomplish nothing meaningful.

Now don't get me wrong, this is not to say that you still need to always be combatting your yetzer hara, unchecked it will inevitably lead to peril. Rather we must elevate our consciousness so as to always be mindful of its pull and influence. It is just as Obi-Wan teaches, "be mindful of your thoughts Anakin, they betray you." Only when you can master the self-awareness of both inclinations can you live a virtuous and balanced life of meaning and be a true “Chakham” or…. Jedi Master.

This design celebrates the virtue and brilliance of Jewish philosophy. Wear it as a reminder: the goal is not meant to obsess over control and piety. Rather it is to elevate our mindfulness to balance and integrate both sides of yourself, and direct that power toward something righteous and meaningful. It's these kind of teachings that just makes one gotta love the Jews!

The deep philosophical nature of this particular design has been a really fun and rewarding topic to pursue. Having had several engaging and stimulating conversations on the subject, I was encouraged to go "deeper" down the Rabbi Hole with a litle extra commentary and external resources for those with whom this topic might strike their fancy. With that said...

George Lucas when developing Star Wars used the wisdom of this concept of balance to help build the narrative of the entire SIX episode Skywalker saga. Anakin's purpose was to go beyond destroying the Sith, he needed to change the conditions that made it possible for the Sith (darkside) to rise to power in the first place.

The Jedi had become too rigid, too self-righteous, too detached, and too arrogant. The Order had been tempted by institutional power. They had embraced politics and had become a tool for enforcement; it's primary purpose became more about serving power and control, not people. Even though the Jedi clearly came from a place of goodness and light, the influence of power and lack of humility allowed the Yetzer Hara to pull them off the path of righteousness.

Over the centuries many a great Sage has pondered these ideas raised in the Tanakh and beyond.

“Do not be overly righteous, and do not make yourself too wise; why should you destroy yourself?”

— Ecclesiastes 7:16

Rabbinic literature is more direct in this concept. In the Mishnah it states:

“A foolish man of piety, a conniving wicked person, the overly abstinent, and self-mortifying Pharisees — these destroy the world.”

Earlier we mentioned finding balance to pursue righteousness. While the two concepts might not seem dependent on the other, their connection in Judaism is pronounced and beautiful. In multiple places in the Tanakh the same word "Tzedek" is actually used to describe both righteous and balanced. The Rambam, arguably the greatest off all the sages brings the big picture together in his focus on "the middle path." "The right path is the intermediate measure in every single character trait... This is what the Sages call the complete and straight way. The one who aligns their character to this exact center point is called a Tzadik (a righteous person)."
— Maimonides, Mishneh Torah, Hilchot De'ot (Laws of Character) 1:4

We’ll end this entry the same way we started it, with a quote from a certain smuggler with an ego who once helped save the galaxy, “Hey Luke, may the Koakh be with you!”

***See below for some further external sources and commentary on the subjects discussed above.

Explained as only the brilliant scientist and Torah scholar can, Ephraim Palvanov discusses the concept of Yetzer Hara in his weekly teachings, Mayim Achronim

Here's a beautiful sentiment on real life application of discerning balance in the pursuit for righteousness from the amazing Rabbi Yonaton HaLevy - head of the (B"H) growing Shiviti movement: