Derasha 3 on Bereishis 32:33

TT #16 · 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 91a (the incident itself as source).

Sefaria · Chullin 91a

Core Text of Chazal

כי נגע בכף ירך יעקב בגיד הנשה — מכאן סמכו חכמים לאיסור גיד הנשה.

“Because he touched the hollow of Yaakov’s thigh on the sciatic nerve” — from here the Sages derived the prohibition of the sciatic nerve.

On the daf / in context

The verse itself is the narrative source for the later halakhic prohibition.

Type of Learning

Derash linking narrative to din (Bavli).

What Is Learned

The Torah’s account of the injury is the source of the lasting prohibition for the descendants of Yaakov.