This week’s Torah reading relates that after leaving Lavan’s household where he had lived for twenty years, Jacob set out for Eretz Yisrael. Upon hearing that his brother Esau was preparing to attack him, he relocated his family to protect them against Esau’s advance.
That night, Jacob remained alone in his camp. He was met by an attacker and “wrestled with him until the morning.” Our Rabbis explain that the attacker was not a mere mortal, but rather the personification of Esau’s archangel. Jacob was able to withstand his challenge. Although the angel dislocated Jacob’s hip, Jacob held his own until, at day break, the angel conceded defeat and blessed Jacob.
Gid Hanesheh
In commemoration of this encounter, the Jewish people do not eat the sciatic and the peroneal nerves or the tendons on an animal’s hip socket (gid hanesheh; this is the reason that there is no kosher sirloin steak).
The Sefer HaChinuch explains the reason for this prohibition, explaining that it alludes to the future of the Jewish people. Although they will endure many difficulties in exile (“night”) from the gentiles and from Esau’s descendants, Jacob’s victory teaches them to remain confident and secure that they will not perish and that their descendants will endure forever.
Every Person is Important
Our Rabbis ask: Why is this concept, an idea of sweeping relevance, commemorated by a prohibition that focuses on only one element of the encounter? Moreover, why does the commemoration seem to focus on an undesirable element, a wound that Jacob suffered?
In response, they explain that this motif — that one particular detail enables us to relate to a general principle of fundamental importance — lies at the core of the confidence and trust we must have that G-d’s providence will protect us and guide us through the challenges of exile.
The intent is that every detail is important. Not only will the Jewish people as a whole be led through exile, but each individual will feel G-d’s providence. G-d cherishes every individual Jew as a father cherishes an only son born to him in his old age.
With patience and care, G-d charts not only the path of our people as a whole, but that of every individual, guiding and directing each of us to attain the greatest good that we could possibly reach and enabling us to make our special contribution to the consummation of G-d’s desire in creation.
Playing a Part in the Whole
The manner in which G-d manifests His providence upon each individual is not meted out according to any scale of importance which logic could conceive. For because of G-d’s desire and choice of the Jewish people, every person enjoys unique importance. Each one fulfills a dimension of G-d’s master plan that another could not possibly fulfill.
Therefore He lavishes on each person a unique measure of patience, care and love, enabling that individual to play his part in painting a picture that far surpasses any of his personal aspirations.
To emphasize these concepts, we commemorate Jacob’s encounter by focusing on one detail. For this teaches that there are no mere particulars; everything plays its part in the whole.
Moreover, the commemoration focuses on something that appears undesirable, teaching that what we call evil is sometimes the most efficient and perhaps the only means through which — for the person and his condition at the time — G-d can convey the ultimate good.
Based on the teachings of the Rebbe, from Keeping in Touch, reprinted with perm. from Sichos in English
