Post by kriss on Dec 8, 2022 15:29:22 GMT -5
The Hidden Message of the Sciatic Nerve
When he saw that he had not prevailed against him, he wrenched Yaakov's hip at its socket, so that the socket of his hip was strained as he wrestled with him. Genesis 32:26
Jacob’s encounter with an angel before confronting Esau leaves him scarred and limping. This encounter has changed him physically, but it has also changed him in such an essential manner that God gives him a new name. It is fascinating that the Jews were given an eternal commandment to commemorate this encounter.
That is why the children of Yisrael to this day do not eat the thigh muscle that is on the socket of the hip, since Yaakov‘s hip socket was wrenched at the thigh muscle. Genesis 32:33
Why do we commemorate Jacob’s encounter with the angel by refraining from eating thigh muscle?
Jacob wrestles with the angel who, in desperation, grabs Jacob by the hip, crippling him (Gen. 32:26).The angel then blesses Jacob with a new name that glorifies the part of his nature that enables him to battle both man and God and prevail (Gen. 32:29). This episode concludes a commandment to refrain from eating the sinew in the hips of animals, in order to commemorate Jacob’s conflict with the angel.
The Torah refers to this sinew as the gid hanashe (גִּיד הַנָּשֶׁה). To this day, Jews refrain from eating the sciatic nerve, found in the hindquarters of kosher animals, and remove it in a complicated butchering process called nikur.
On a simple level, this command is relatively straightforward. But the commentators have delved into its inner meanings.
In Genesis (1:27), God states that he created man in His image. Since God does not have a corporeal body, what can this mean? Our sages teach that there are 613 commandments that are divided into 248 positive precepts and 365 prohibitions. According to our sages, the human body is divided into 248 organs and 365 sinews. Our sages teach that the 248 limbs correspond to the 248 positive precepts, and the 365 sinews correspond to the 365 prohibitions. Each commandment pairs with a specific limb or sinew.
This is hinted at in the Book of Job which states:
But I would behold Hashem while still in my flesh, Job 19:26
By creating our bodies in way that parallels the number of commandments in His Torah, God was creating us in His image.
The Zohar, a foundational work in the area of Jewish mystical thought known as Kabbalah, takes this one step further and correlates the 365 sinews to the 365 days of the year. The Zohar explains that the gid hanashe corresponds to Tisha B’Av, the Ninth of Av, the day which commemorates the destruction of both Jewish Temples in Jerusalem.
Jacob encountered the angel precisely upon his return from exile. Being hurt in his thigh was a hint at what would happen to his children in the future. Just as Jacob was crippled, the destruction of the Temples would cripple the Jews. By following God’s command and refraining from eating the gid hanashe, the Jews would merit ‘fixing’ the destruction of the Temples.
More: theisraelbible.com/the-hidden-message-of-the-sciatic-nerve/?vgo_ee=3w8Itd01YPCR8KVrdMXxvUzkASpiHornD%2Fz2wZTd1jg%3D
When he saw that he had not prevailed against him, he wrenched Yaakov's hip at its socket, so that the socket of his hip was strained as he wrestled with him. Genesis 32:26
Jacob’s encounter with an angel before confronting Esau leaves him scarred and limping. This encounter has changed him physically, but it has also changed him in such an essential manner that God gives him a new name. It is fascinating that the Jews were given an eternal commandment to commemorate this encounter.
That is why the children of Yisrael to this day do not eat the thigh muscle that is on the socket of the hip, since Yaakov‘s hip socket was wrenched at the thigh muscle. Genesis 32:33
Why do we commemorate Jacob’s encounter with the angel by refraining from eating thigh muscle?
Jacob wrestles with the angel who, in desperation, grabs Jacob by the hip, crippling him (Gen. 32:26).The angel then blesses Jacob with a new name that glorifies the part of his nature that enables him to battle both man and God and prevail (Gen. 32:29). This episode concludes a commandment to refrain from eating the sinew in the hips of animals, in order to commemorate Jacob’s conflict with the angel.
The Torah refers to this sinew as the gid hanashe (גִּיד הַנָּשֶׁה). To this day, Jews refrain from eating the sciatic nerve, found in the hindquarters of kosher animals, and remove it in a complicated butchering process called nikur.
On a simple level, this command is relatively straightforward. But the commentators have delved into its inner meanings.
In Genesis (1:27), God states that he created man in His image. Since God does not have a corporeal body, what can this mean? Our sages teach that there are 613 commandments that are divided into 248 positive precepts and 365 prohibitions. According to our sages, the human body is divided into 248 organs and 365 sinews. Our sages teach that the 248 limbs correspond to the 248 positive precepts, and the 365 sinews correspond to the 365 prohibitions. Each commandment pairs with a specific limb or sinew.
This is hinted at in the Book of Job which states:
But I would behold Hashem while still in my flesh, Job 19:26
By creating our bodies in way that parallels the number of commandments in His Torah, God was creating us in His image.
The Zohar, a foundational work in the area of Jewish mystical thought known as Kabbalah, takes this one step further and correlates the 365 sinews to the 365 days of the year. The Zohar explains that the gid hanashe corresponds to Tisha B’Av, the Ninth of Av, the day which commemorates the destruction of both Jewish Temples in Jerusalem.
Jacob encountered the angel precisely upon his return from exile. Being hurt in his thigh was a hint at what would happen to his children in the future. Just as Jacob was crippled, the destruction of the Temples would cripple the Jews. By following God’s command and refraining from eating the gid hanashe, the Jews would merit ‘fixing’ the destruction of the Temples.
More: theisraelbible.com/the-hidden-message-of-the-sciatic-nerve/?vgo_ee=3w8Itd01YPCR8KVrdMXxvUzkASpiHornD%2Fz2wZTd1jg%3D
