Taamei Hamitzvos - Gid Hanasheh
Reasons Behind the Mitzvos: Gid Hanasheh
By Rabbi Shmuel Kraines
(Mitzvah 3 in Sefer HaChinuch)
“Therefore, the Jewish people shall not eat the gid hanasheh on the rounded part of the thigh (identified as the sciatic nerve) until this day, for [the angel] made contact with the rounded part of Yaakov’s thigh, on the gid hanasheh.” (Bereishis 32:33)
Reason One: Memorial
2. This mitzvah commemorates the greatness and glory of the Jewish people, whose ancestor overpowered an angel (Bechor Shor).
3. Just as a person might fast on the day that his parent died, as an expression of honor, we refrain from eating the body part that corresponds to our patriarch’s injury, in his honor (Moshav Zekeinim; Radak).
Reason Two: Reminder of Proper Conduct
2. The injury of the gid hanasheh renders a person crippled, and hence it symbolizes our ability to stand and function on our own. By refraining from eating it, we recall that we are, in truth, dependent upon Hashem, and we need to fulfill His will in order to merit His protection and blessing (Rav Hirsch).
Reason Three: Impurity
According to esoteric sources, the angel was Eisav’s ministering angel, which is associated with the Side of Impurity. It probed Yaakov’s body for a weak spot, and found that the only place it could dominate was the gid hanasheh, the sinew in the thigh, from which the yetzer hara derives its strength. When the angel dislocated the gid hanasheh, it moved from its place of holiness and contaminated it, and that is why the gid hanasheh has no taste. Hence, it is called gid hanasheh, which means “the sinew that was moved.” Alternatively, gid hanasheh means “the sinew that causes forgetfulness,” because its impurity nourishes the yetzer hara of whoever eats it and causes him to forget the service of Hashem. Therefore, the Jewish people may not eat the gid hanasheh (Zohar Vol. 170b and Ohr HaChaim).
