Every Step You Take Matters
In this week’s parsha, we read about one of the most intense moments in Jewish history:
Yaakov fights a heavenly angel — the spiritual force behind Esav.
Yaakov wins, but the angel wounds him in the thigh.
To remember this moment, the Torah commands:
“Therefore, the Jewish people do not eat the Gid Hanasheh (the sciatic nerve) to this day, because the angel touched Yaakov’s thigh.” (Bereishis 32:33)
Unlike most Torah prohibitions, here the reason is spelled out.
Even the tiny details of the mitzvah — exactly which nerve, which leg — are tied to that exact injury.
Why Such a Small Memory?
You might wonder:
- Why is this massive event — Yaakov surviving an attack from the forces of darkness —
remembered by not eating a specific tendon? - Shouldn’t it be marked by something bigger, more powerful, more global?
The Secret of Jewish Survival
Because this is the secret.
Yaakov’s battle wasn’t just his.
It was ours.
It was a message for every generation:
Even when darkness fights you — even when you limp, even when you struggle —
you will not fall.
You will limp sometimes.
But you will survive.
You will win.
In Every Detail, G-d is With You
And the real wonder?
It’s not just that the big battles matter.
It’s that every tiny detail of your journey matters.
Even one nerve.
Even one limp.
Even one moment where you falter — G-d is watching, loving, protecting, guiding.
Because when it comes to a Jew, nothing is small.
Your life is not random.
Your pain is not wasted.
Your steps — even your limping steps — are sacred.
In you, in your daily life, the entire purpose of creation lives.
You Carry It All
When you remember the Gid Hanasheh, you’re not just remembering Yaakov.
You’re remembering yourself:
- That even when you’re hurting, you’re still holy.
- That even when you’re limping, you’re still carrying G-d’s dream forward.
- That every step you take has cosmic meaning.
Because inside every Jew lives the full, unstoppable truth of who we are.