Gid Ha’nasheh Restrictions

Q. Why don’t we eat the gid ha’nasheh and where does this restriction apply?

A. When Yaakov Avinu left the home of Lavan, he returned to Eretz Yisrael and encountered his brother Eisav. The Torah (Parshas Vayishlach, Bereishis 32:33) recounts the following episode that occurred the previous evening: “And Yaakov remained alone and a man (Rashi, quoting chazal, say this was the guardian angel of Eisav) wrestled with him until daybreak. When he saw he could not overcome him, he touched the socket of his thigh and Yaakov’s hip socket was dislocated as he wrestled with him….and he was limping on his hip. Therefore, the Children of Israel may not eat from the gid ha’nasheh that is on the socket of the thigh until this day.” Chazal identify the gid ha’nasheh as the inner sinew (which, according to Ashkenazic tradition, corresponds with the sciatic nerve). Chazal also forbade eating from the outer sinew (which, according to Ashkenazic tradition, corresponds with the femoral nerve), and all offshoots of both nerves as well. In addition, all surrounding shuman were forbidden. (Shuman are certain types of fats that are generally permitted.)

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The Gerald & Karin Feldhamer OU Kosher Halacha Yomis is dedicated to the memory of Rav Yisroel Belsky, zt"l, who served as halachic consultant for OU Kosher for more than 28 years; many of the responses in Halacha Yomis are based on the rulings of Rabbi Belsky. Subscribe to the Halacha Yomis daily email here.