OUR POINT OF SPIRITUAL VULNERABILITY
Vayishlach
SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) analysis is a key business planning tool. In addition to knowing one’s strengths, it is equally important to know our vulnerabilities so that we can be aware and on guard.
On his way back to Eretz Yisroel, an unidentified assailant attacks Yaakov in the middle of the night. The two men lock arms, wrestling until dawn. Una ble to prevail, the assailant strikes Yaakov on the hip socket, leaving him with a limp. As a result of this strange incident the descendants of Yaakov are prohibited to eat the Gid Hanashe (sciatic nerve) on an animals thigh socket.
Yaakov’s mysterious attacker is identified as the Malach of Esav. The Medrash goes even further to explain that the angel of Esav is the prosecuting angel, Satan himself. The Satan also functions on the personal level as the Yetzer Hora. In contrast, Yaakov represents the Jewish soul, which craves spiritual existence and connection to G-d.
Yaakov’s nightlong battle with the angel is the cosmic archetype of the daily struggle that we all face; to overcome the desires and temptations of our Yetzer Hora that distract us from our true purpose of serving Hashem.
From the Torah’s account of this battle, we can glean a valuable insight as to how we can prevail in our own spiritual struggles, to identify our strengths and weaknesses.
Kabbalah explains that the Sefiros (attributes) of the Neshama mirror the human body. The head represents our intellectual capacity. The torso and two arms correspond to the primary emotions; Chessed is the right hand, Gevurah is the left hand and Tiferes is the Torso.
The Malach did not attack Yaakov’s head. Instead, they locked-arms and wrestled. Wrestling involves the arms and body. Even then he was unable to cause Yaakov to fall.
The light of the Neshama shines powerfully in our intellectual realisation of Hashem’s greatness through meditation (hisbonnenus) and Torah study. When we are operating with our G-dly intellect we חב"ד are deeply connected and immune to the attacks of the Yetzer Hora.
This intellectual appreciation spawns emotions of love and fear. Even when we are not actively meditating, these emotions remain, but a purely emotional service is weaker form of connection. And so, the Yetzer Hora tries to wrap us in its arms (emotions), to subdue our G-dly emotions and usurp them with material and worldly desires.
But even then, the angel was unable to prevail. Our G-dly emotions, feelings of love for Hashem and an emotional appreciation for Mitzvos, offer us a de gree of immunity in the face of challenge.
Our point of vulnerability, is our thigh socket, the Gid Hanashe.
The legs represent the Sefiros of Netzach and Hod, our resolve for action. When the intellectual and emotional appreciation is gone and all we are left with is going through the motions, we are at risk.
The Gid Hanashe is not kosher. However the prohibi tion of Gid Hanashe differs from that of other forbidden foods. When Treif food falls into kosher food it imparts its taste, rendering the entire mixture not kosher. However, the food will remain kosher if the kosher food has 60 times the volume of the non-kosher food. This is referred to as Bittul Beshishim. The logic behind this magical number 60, is that the taste of the Treif food becomes completely nullified.
The Gid Hanashe is different. As long as the actual nerve has been removed, one does not need a nulli fication ratio. The reason for this is the Talmud’s conclusion that sinews (nerves) do not possess taste. Therefore, there is no flavour to cancel out. The Gid Hanashe represents a dry, flavourless service of Hashem.
Nashe also means to forget. When we “forget”, when our G-dly intellect is not activated, our actions become like tasteless sinews, our weakness. When we are inspired and emotionally engaged, we face our spiritual struggles from a position of strength.
Think of davening and learning a spiritual work-out. The more we engage in it, the stronger we will be and the poor Yetzer Hora won’t stand a chance.
On his way back to Eretz Yisroel, an unidentified assailant attacks Yaakov in the middle of the night. The two men lock arms, wrestling until dawn. Una ble to prevail, the assailant strikes Yaakov on the hip socket, leaving him with a limp. As a result of this strange incident the descendants of Yaakov are prohibited to eat the Gid Hanashe (sciatic nerve) on an animals thigh socket.
Yaakov’s mysterious attacker is identified as the Malach of Esav. The Medrash goes even further to explain that the angel of Esav is the prosecuting angel, Satan himself. The Satan also functions on the personal level as the Yetzer Hora. In contrast, Yaakov represents the Jewish soul, which craves spiritual existence and connection to G-d.
Yaakov’s nightlong battle with the angel is the cosmic archetype of the daily struggle that we all face; to overcome the desires and temptations of our Yetzer Hora that distract us from our true purpose of serving Hashem.
From the Torah’s account of this battle, we can glean a valuable insight as to how we can prevail in our own spiritual struggles, to identify our strengths and weaknesses.
Kabbalah explains that the Sefiros (attributes) of the Neshama mirror the human body. The head represents our intellectual capacity. The torso and two arms correspond to the primary emotions; Chessed is the right hand, Gevurah is the left hand and Tiferes is the Torso.
The Malach did not attack Yaakov’s head. Instead, they locked-arms and wrestled. Wrestling involves the arms and body. Even then he was unable to cause Yaakov to fall.
The light of the Neshama shines powerfully in our intellectual realisation of Hashem’s greatness through meditation (hisbonnenus) and Torah study. When we are operating with our G-dly intellect we חב"ד are deeply connected and immune to the attacks of the Yetzer Hora.
This intellectual appreciation spawns emotions of love and fear. Even when we are not actively meditating, these emotions remain, but a purely emotional service is weaker form of connection. And so, the Yetzer Hora tries to wrap us in its arms (emotions), to subdue our G-dly emotions and usurp them with material and worldly desires.
But even then, the angel was unable to prevail. Our G-dly emotions, feelings of love for Hashem and an emotional appreciation for Mitzvos, offer us a de gree of immunity in the face of challenge.
Our point of vulnerability, is our thigh socket, the Gid Hanashe.
The legs represent the Sefiros of Netzach and Hod, our resolve for action. When the intellectual and emotional appreciation is gone and all we are left with is going through the motions, we are at risk.
The Gid Hanashe is not kosher. However the prohibi tion of Gid Hanashe differs from that of other forbidden foods. When Treif food falls into kosher food it imparts its taste, rendering the entire mixture not kosher. However, the food will remain kosher if the kosher food has 60 times the volume of the non-kosher food. This is referred to as Bittul Beshishim. The logic behind this magical number 60, is that the taste of the Treif food becomes completely nullified.
The Gid Hanashe is different. As long as the actual nerve has been removed, one does not need a nulli fication ratio. The reason for this is the Talmud’s conclusion that sinews (nerves) do not possess taste. Therefore, there is no flavour to cancel out. The Gid Hanashe represents a dry, flavourless service of Hashem.
Nashe also means to forget. When we “forget”, when our G-dly intellect is not activated, our actions become like tasteless sinews, our weakness. When we are inspired and emotionally engaged, we face our spiritual struggles from a position of strength.
Think of davening and learning a spiritual work-out. The more we engage in it, the stronger we will be and the poor Yetzer Hora won’t stand a chance.