Machshavot HaLev - Yeshivat Lev HaTorah

57
Vayishlach
And Ya’akov Was Left Alone
Barry Mueller
T here are very few positive and negative commandments listed in Sefer Bereishit.
In fact it takes 8 parshiyot, until the 33 rd pasuk of the 32 nd perek, to get to the first
prohibition. In this week’s parsha, Parshat Vayishlach, we learn that, “The Children of
Yisrael are not to eat the displaced sinew on the hip-socket (otherwise known as the
gid ha-nasheh or sciatic nerve) to this day, because he [Eisav’s guardian angel] struck
Yaakov’s hip socket on the displaced sinew.” Rav Machlis this past week presented his
Bein Adam La-chaveiro class with an insight from Da’at Zekeinim Mi-ba’alei ha-Tosfot.
According to Tosafot the simple p’shat on why we are not allowed to eat the gid hanasheh
is because the sons of Yisrael (a.k.a. Yaakov) did not eat the gid ha-nasheh in
order to remember the miracle that their father was only injured. We also remember
this miracle by not eating the gid ha-nasheh.
But this is not the only answer that Tosafot give. In perek 32, pasuk 25, it states that,
“Yaakov was left alone, and a man wrestled with him until the break of the dawn.”
Tosafot are troubled by the fact that Yaakov was traveling alone. How could Yaakov’s
sons have been so negligent as to leave him alone at such a time? Yaakov is about to
confront his twin brother Eisav, who has promised to kill Yaakov, yet Eisav’s guardian
angel meets Yaakov alone! So really the reason we don’t eat the gid ha-nasheh is to
remind us [we are also referred to as B’nei Yisrael] of the fact that we should not leave
people alone. This is part of the mitzvah of Ve-ahavta le-re’acha kamocha (Parshat
Kedoshim, 19:18); that you are to love your friend as yourself.