The battle of Yaakov Avinu with the minister of Eisav, during which the angel of Eisav struck Yaakv's thigh even if he could not defeat him, was eternalized by the Torah for generations with the prohibition against eating the gid hanasheh, as it says in this parashah (Bereishis 32:33): "Therefore, Bnei Yisrael may not eat the displaced tendon, which is on the socket of the hip, until this day."
The Sefer Hachinuch (Mitzvah 3) expounds with an interesting point: The prohibition against eating the gid hanasheh is not only to remind us of a deed that was, but also to shower us with consolation: We, the descendants of Yaakov, who suffer from the persecution of the nations of the world, who rise up against us to destroy us in each generation – and we are promised that just like the angel of Eisav was not able to defeat Yaakov, and HaKadosh Baruch Hu even healed him from his blow, likewise, the nations will not be able to defeat his descendants, and Hashem will yet return and redeem us from our troubles.
But we must also remember: Yaakov Avinu did not overpower the angel with his physical strength, but rather with his spiritual strength, which is the "kol Yaakov." And the lesson learned for generations is that we, his descendants, can prevail over our enemies with our spiritual strength.
What does this refer to?
At the beginning of the parashah, the passuk describes that before his encounter with Eisav, Yaakov stood and prayed (ibid 12) "Save me from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Eisav, because I am afraid of him lest him come and strike me [and strike] a mother and her children." Upon perusal of the wording of Yaakov's tefillah, the Megaleh Amukos noted that the acronym of "נא מיד אחי" is amen, as Yaakov had in mind the zechus of answering amen, and it was in this power that Yaakov sought to be saved from his brother Eisav.
I thought to add that indeed, we find an allusion in the passuk that the merit of answering amen is what advocated for Yaakov to stand strong in the face of the minister of Eisav. Because the failure of the angel's battle is described by the passuk (ibid וירא כי לא יכל" with the words )26 "לו– and the words "לא יכל" are numerically equivalent to amen.
As such, it is fitting to once again mention the words of the Tanna Devei Eliyahu (Rabbah 11) that teaches us that indeed, as alluded here, answering amen is what advocates for us to be spared from our enemies. He writes: "In the merit of who does HaKadosh Baruch Hu take revenge on the nations of the world for Am Yisrael? In the merit of the people who go to the beis knesses and beis medrash in the morning and the evening to answer amen."
Let us strengthen our answering of amen. We will get up each morning to answer amen to those in shul who make brachos, and in this merit, HaKadosh Baruch Hu should elevate us and our enemies should fall before us, amen v'amen!
Good Shabbos
Yaakov Dov Marmurstein
ת.ד 102 בני ברק | פקס : 03-5055919
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