Therefore, the Children of Yisrael are not to eat the displaced sinew on the hip-socket to this day, because he struck Yaakov’s hip socket on the displaced sinew. (Beresheis 32:33)

The Sefer HaChinuch explains that we can learn something from the mitzvah of gid haneshe (not eating the sciatic nerve of an animal). He states that at the root of this mitzvah is a guarantee that even though the Jewish people will endure much persecution and suffering in exile at the hands of the other nations and the descendants of Esav, they should be confident that they will not perish. Just as Hashem came to save Yaakov from Esav’s angel, Hashem will save us from our enemies.

Four weeks ago, my son put on tefillin for his first time and during davening, I began crying tears of joy. I began to think about the Nazis (may their name be wiped out). They had a master plan to completely destroy Judaism. But where are they today? Here is my son wearing tefillin which my ancestors have been wearing for thousands of years! Another generation of Jews is born! Our enemies have tried to wipe us out completely so many times but they are not successful.

Hitler once gave a speech about how the Jews were the poison to the world and that his plan was to get rid of all of them. After the speech, everyone cheered, but there was a man in the back of the room that cheered longer than anyone else. The people turned to him and noticed that he was Jewish. Hitler was angry, “you don’t think I can do what I say?”

The man responded by stating that the Egyptians wanted to get rid of all of the Jews. In the end, the Jews were saved and we have the holiday of Pesach. Haman wanted to destroy the Jews. In the end, the Jews were saved and we have the holiday of Purim. The Greeks tried to get rid of the Jews. In the end, the Jews were saved and we have the holiday of Chanuka. You want to get rid of all of the Jews. Well, when we are saved, we will have a huge celebration!

Well, in the end we do not have a holiday for the end of the Holocaust, but there is still a lesson we can learn from this Jewish man who spoke to Hitler. No one can get rid of the Jews. There is no nation that has been more hated than the Jews throughout history. But also there is no nation that has continued to survive for so long after all of the pogroms and abuse we have gone through.

Esav and the other nations have fought us all night. We get injured and we need to limp. But in the morning, the sun comes up and we start walking again. We are not wiped out and we will never be wiped out.

Good Shabbos!
-yes
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