Derasha 1 on Bereishis 32:33

TT #14 · Parashas Vayishlach · Passuk 32:33

Complete Passuk

עַל־כֵּ֡ן לֹֽא־יֹאכְל֨וּ בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל אֶת־גִּ֣יד הַנָּשֶׁ֗ה אֲשֶׁר֙ עַל־כַּ֣ף הַיָּרֵ֔ךְ עַ֖ד הַיּ֣וֹם הַזֶּ֑ה כִּ֤י נָגַע֙ בְּכַף־יֶ֣רֶךְ יַעֲקֹ֔ב בְּגִ֖יד הַנָּשֶֽׁה׃

Therefore the children of Yisrael do not eat the sciatic nerve that is on the hollow of the thigh, to this day, because he touched the hollow of Yaakov’s thigh on the sciatic nerve.

Chabad · Genesis 32:33

Source Citation

Torah Temimah points to Chullin 96b.

Sefaria · Chullin 96b

Core Text of Chazal

ת"ר: גיד הנשה בריה הוא, לפיכך אכלו אע"פ שאין בו כזית חייב.

Our Rabbis taught: The sciatic nerve is a complete entity; therefore one who eats it is liable even if it does not contain an olive’s bulk.

On the daf / in context

The Gemara establishes that the gid hanasheh is treated as a complete beriyah for liability purposes.

Type of Learning

Derash on the nature of the prohibition (Bavli).

What Is Learned

Eating the sciatic nerve incurs liability even without the volume of a kezayit because it is a complete entity.