Vayishlach 2020
Isaac’s Parsha Corner · 2020
Lest We Forget
The Parsha contains a mysterious story about Jacob’s encounter or struggle with a “man” on the other side of the river Yabok. The story ends with the following; “and the sun rose for him as he passed Penuel and he was limping on his hip. Therefore the Children of Israel will not eat from the “Gid Hanasheh” that is on the hip socket until this day, for he struck Jacob’s hip socket, his “Gid Hanasheh”.”
Art scroll, based on Unkulos, translates the term “Gid Hanasheh - the sinew that was displaced”. This is most certainly the simple reading of the verse. The difficulty is why would Jacob’s children not eat from a cow’s sinew because of that event? The Rabbi’s attempt to add meat to the pasuk by declaring the symbolic nature of the injured Jacob who suffers, yet recovers. According to the Rabbis the prohibition of the Gid Hanasheh is to symbolize our own fortitude and resilience in the face of ongoing adversity.
The term “Nashe” is found elsewhere to mean “forgetfulness”. “And Joseph named his son Menasha for “Nsashani Elokim”, G-d has made me forget my hardships and my father’s house Gen.ch. 41 vs. 51.” The Torah commands that we remember important events. We are commanded to remember what Amalek did to us. We are commanded to remember the Exodus story. We are commanded to remember the creation story by sanctifying the Sabbath. (Kiddush). In our story it seems that the decision to avoid that sinew was actually made by Jacob’s children. “Therefore the Children of Israel will not eat from the displaced sinew”. The children of Israel took upon themselves the commitment to always remember that event. We chose to not forget that we were alone, attacked for no good reason, by a nameless individual, who could not destroy us, and seeing that felt the need to injure us. The remembrance was our decision and ours alone. (G-d certainly concurred because Gid Hanasheh is one of the 613 commandments!)
The prohibition of the Gid Hanasheh means in addition to not eating that sinew, not to forget. As we read this week’s Parsha we are reminded of our enemies who isolate us (UN), attack us for no reason, and seem to never be willing to forget us. We in turn must never ever forget.