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שבת שלום - פרשת וישלח
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Video Shiur
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Click play to watch
Rav Yaakov Arram's shiur about Rebbe Nachman MeBreslov |
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News and Notes
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On
Sunday, the yeshiva was
proud to host Rav David
Hirsch shlit"a, rosh
yeshiva at Yeshivat Rabbeinu
Yitzchak Elchanan of
Yeshiva University.
Rav Hirsch gave a fascinating
shiur on "T'li giteich
me'al gabei karka", a
sugya in the eighth perek
of Masechet Gittin which
our students are currently
learning.
On Thursday,
we were honored as Rav
Hershel Schachter shlit"a,
rosh yeshiva at Yeshivat
Rabbeinu Yitzchak Elchanan
of YU and the rosh kollel
of the Katz Kollel, addressed
the yeshiva on the topic
of "Ahavat Hashem and
Yirat Hashem". (We plan
to post both shiurim
at www.yesodei.org sometime
this week.)
On Thursday
afternoon, the shana
alef students enjoyed
our annual tiyul to Har
Hazeitim and the Kotel
excavations in the Old
City of Jerusalem. We
thank Rav Baruch Dovid
Greenman for accompanying
the yeshiva on what was
a very enjoyable and
informative afternoon.
This Shabbat is an
in-Shabbat, hosted by
Rav Uri Cohen. Along
with our beautiful davening,
delicious meals, and
spirited singing, Rav
Cohen will be offering
several shiruim on the
topic of "Heroism", including,
"How to be an Inaction
Hero", "Shimon, Levi
and Batman: Vigilante
Justice", "Inyanei Superman",
and "The Cheshbon HaNefesh
of Samaritan". The oneg
will take place at the
home of Jonathan and
Temima Rosenblum on Rechov
Shimon 17, and the Melaveh
Malka will be hosted
by Rav Ariel and Atara
Greenberg at Nachal Shimshon
17/2. If you are in
Beit Shemesh, please
join us!
Rav Arram
and Rav Krohn are currently
in the United States.
If you would like to
be in touch with them,
please contact the yeshiva
office at yeshiva@yesodei.org.
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The Sciatic Nerve and the Eternity of Israel
By Rabbi Pesach Wolicki
"A man wrestled with (Yaacov) until daybreak. He saw that he could not defeat him, and he struck the socket of his hip [alt. thigh]. Yaacov's hip joint was dislocated as he wrestled with him.... The sun shone upon him [Yaacov] as he passed Penuel, and he was limping on his hip.
For this reason the children of Israel must not eat the displaced sinew on the hip socket to this day, because he struck Jacob's hip socket on the displaced sinew." (Bereshit 32:25-26, 32-33)
This "displaced sinew" is otherwise known as the sciatic nerve. It seems that this commandment is a commemoration of the struggle between Yaacov and the "man."
What would have happened had the "man" struck Yaacov on the arm or the head? Would we be forbidden from eating arms or heads of animals? Why did the "man" just happen to strike him there? The location of the wound is obviously significant enough that it results in a commandment relating to that specific limb of the body.
The Sefer Hachinuch (Spain 13th cent.) discusses the meaning of this commandment as follows.
"The root [meaning] of this commandment is to serve as a reminder to Israel that, although they will suffer many hardships in the exiles at the hands of the nations and at the hands of the children of Esav, they will be confident that they will never be lost. Rather, their offspring and name will always arise and a redeemer will arrive and redeem them from hardship.... This is symbolized because the angel who fought with our forefather Yaacov - which according to tradition was the ministering angel of Esav - attempted to uproot Yaacov and his progeny from the world. "He saw that he could not defeat him," and hurt him by striking his hip. So too, Esav's progeny afflicts the progeny of Yaacov. At the end [of days] there will be salvation for [Yaacov's progeny] from them." (Sefer Hachinuch, commandment 3)
Why, in his attempt to "uproot Yaacov and his progeny", did the angel strike Yaacov's hip? What was he trying to do?
The Hebrew word for "hip" used here is "yerech." It could also refer to the thigh. Interestingly, the word "yerech" can have another meaning.
The term "yerech" is often a euphemism for the reproductive organ.
This usage appears in Shemot 1:5, Bereshit 46:26, Shoftim 8:30 to name a few. More specifically, each of these other citations uses "yerech"
to refer to actual offspring. I would like to suggest that the angel of Esav who struggled with Yaacov was symbolically attempting to cut off his ability to reproduce. In the words of the Sefer Hachinuch cited above, he "attempted to uproot Yaacov and his progeny from the world."
Esav is the grandfather of the archenemy of the People of Israel, Amalek. When Amalek attacks Israel shortly after the exodus from Egypt, this scene replays itself. A Midrashic description of Amalek's attack follows.
"Said Rabbi Hinena bar Shikla: 'What were the Amalekites doing [when they attacked Israel]? They were cutting off Israel's circumcisions and casting them heavenward and saying [to G-d] "This is what you have chosen? Take for yourself what you have chosen!"'" (Midrash Tanhuma, Ki Tetzei:10)
The angel of Esav - symbolizing the eternal struggle between Esav's offspring and Yaacov's - strikes Yaacov on the inner thigh. The descendants of Esav attack the descendants of Yaacov in virtually the same spot on the body.
The covenant that binds Israel to the supernatural power of G-d is made through circumcision. Circumcision is a statement that even the most physical, most natural elements of a person are consecrated to G- d. Circumcision says that there is no area of life too natural or too physical to be controlled by His will. The Maharal of Prague (Tiferet Yisrael 3) writes that for this reason circumcision is done on the eighth day. Seven days symbolize creation - the natural world. The eighth day says that there is something beyond nature - something greater than the natural system.
The circumcision represents the idea that through a relationship with God - a covenant - we can rise above nature. Esav rules only within nature. Esav-Amalek's only hope for victory over the supernatural People of Israel is for Israel to abandon its supernatural covenant to G-d. Only if the circumcision is uprooted can Esav win.
The prohibition against eating the sciatic nerve serves as an eternal reminder that, although Yaacov and his offspring can be maimed by Esav
- although they may sometimes limp through history as a result of this oppression - the future is never in doubt. Esav's angel missed the mark. Yaacov's offspring, Bnei Yisrael - through their special covenant with G-d - are eternal.
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