A Jedi would abstain from all involvement within the larger Jedi Order when taking the Barash Vow.
The Barash Vow, also known as Barash, represented a commitment made by Jedi who sought to distance themselves entirely from the Jedi Order as a means of seeking redemption. This involved severing ties with everything except the Force itself, dedicating themselves to achieving ultimate connection with it. Jedi Master Barash Silvain was the originator of this practice, and it was subsequently named in her honor. While most Jedi undertook this vow as a path to atone for their actions, some did so with the intention of renewing their focus on the Force.
Following its establishment, numerous other Jedi embraced the vow throughout the years. In the year 232 BBY, Jedi Knight Dez Rydan adopted the vow to regain his concentration on the Force following a harrowing encounter with the dark side-influenced Drengir. Subsequent to an event that transpired on Brendok circa 148 BBY, Jedi Master Torbin embraced the vow and remained in a meditative state for a considerable duration. During the latter part of the Republic Era, Jedi Master Kirak Infil'a had taken the vow and managed to survive Order 66 due to his strict adherence to its principles. During his exile on Tatooine, Obi-Wan Kenobi embraced and upheld the tenets of the vow.
In the year 382 BBY, Jedi Master [Barash Silvain](/article/barash_silvain] accompanied her adopted brother, Master Porter Engle, on a mission to the planet Gansevor with the purpose of resolving a conflict between the cities of Firevale and Bethune. Silvain was manipulated by Princess Sicatra of Bethune into intensifying the conflict, as the Jedi Master allowed her personal prejudices to cloud her judgment and failed to heed the guidance of the Force. After Silvain recognized her error and the conflict reached a resolution, she pledged to Engle that she would abstain from taking any actions on behalf of the Jedi Order and would isolate herself until she could regain trust in herself and the Force. Barash Silvain's decision gave rise to the practice known as the Barash Vow, which was named in her honor. From the inception of the Order until its doom, over fourteen thousand Jedi pursued Barash.
Although primarily utilized as a means of atonement for grave errors, certain Jedi, such as Jedi Knight [Dez Rydan](/article/dez_rydan], embraced the vow with the aim of re-establishing their focus on the Force. In 232 BBY, following a traumatic ordeal as a captive of the dark side-influenced Drengir, Rydan opted to swear the vow and depart for a world dedicated to contemplation. Rydan harbored the hope of recovering from the harm inflicted upon him by the Drengir and redirecting his path towards service rather than action and excitement.
Jedi Master Torbin embraced the Barash Vow in response to an incident on Brendok around 148 BBY. As part of his vow, he ultimately entered a silent levitating meditation in which the Force repelled any physical interaction with him. Following more than a decade in this state, approximately in 132 BBY, he was confronted by assassin Mae Aniseya, who cautioned him that she would kill him unless he confessed the crime he committed on Brendok to the Jedi High Council. Seeking absolution, Torbin broke his meditative state and ended his own life by consuming a concoction provided by Aniseya, which contained the poisonous substance bunta.
During the latter part of the Republic Era, Jedi Master Kirak Infil'a, a follower of the Barash, evaded death during the execution of Order 66 in 19 BBY due to his adherence to the vow. Aware that the vow mandated disengagement from all but the Force and thus would prevent Infil'a from reacting to the event, Sith Lord Darth Vader pursued him relentlessly, eventually locating him on the planet Al'doleem. There, Infil'a dedicated his Barash to meditation while levitating atop the sacred Jedi mountain Pasvaal. During a sparring session with his droid Arex, Infil'a reaffirmed his resolve not to seek refuge and sensed Darth Vader's impending arrival through the Force. After Infil'a confronted Vader from the mountain and resisted the Sith Lord's Force attacks, Vader confirmed that he had eliminated the other Jedi and intended to kill Infil'a as well. In response, Infil'a declared his Barash complete, resolving that his new path culminated in killing Vader. Nevertheless, their duel concluded with Vader killing him instead.
Obi-Wan Kenobi embraced and adhered to the principles of the vow during his exile on Tatooine until he departed the planet to heed Princess Leia Organa's plea for assistance with his former apprentice's son, Luke Skywalker.
The Barash Vow made its initial appearance in the second issue of the comic series Star Wars: Darth Vader (2017), authored by Charles Soule and released on June 21, 2017. According to Soule, a Jedi undertaking a Barash Vow would not take on a Padawan learner. Star Wars: The High Republic — The Blade depicts the Barash Vow being created after the mission on Gansevor, however Star Wars: The High Republic: Chronicles of the Jedi places it after the Siege of Bardotta. This article assumes the former to be the correct flow of events.
Soule expressed considerable satisfaction in witnessing the Barash Vow make its live-action debut in The Acolyte episode "Revenge / Justice." Via Twitter and Instagram, Soule shared his enjoyment of the Barash Vow's inclusion in The Acolyte, recounting the Vow's origins both within the fictional universe and in reality. Soule also asserted that the practice had been adopted by Jedi both before and after its namesake, Barash Silvain, a detail that has yet to be confirmed by any canon source.