Recently, alongside the political, temporary polls, more and more surveys keep appearing that deal with deeper processes: since October 7th, Israeli’s Jewish identities are strengthening. Jews around the world are drawing closer. And most importantly - young people are connecting to their roots.
It's no longer just "restaurants becoming kosher." Ahuva Turgeman, CEO of BBB Group, recently shared that alongside customers demanding kosher certification, there's another reason why more and more branches are becoming kosher: "Many young people simply don't want to work on Shabbat." In other words, it's not just that there are fewer buyers, there are also fewer sellers.
This story is the real main headline of the era, and in this week's Torah portion we can find an explanation for it, specifically after the war:
Our forefather Yaakov encounters a mysterious enemy in Parshat Vayishlach. The enemy arrives when Yaakov is alone, in the dark of night, fights him and wounds him in the thigh, in a place called the sciatic nerve (gid hanasheh). But the wounded Yaakov manages to overcome him, and at the end of the struggle the enemy gives him a new name, our name to this day - Yisrael (Israel). The enemy departs, and Yaakov continues his journey limping, but alive and blessed with a new name and renewed strength.
So far - a historical story. But now the parsha adds something practical, eternal: since that event, it is written, Jews don't eat the sciatic nerve. This is a halacha, part of the laws of kashrut, relevant to this day. A formative historical struggle, in which we became the nation of Israel, is connected to the dishes that will soon be served to us on a plate at BBB Group, more than 3,000 years later.
Our commentators explain that there's a deep idea here: we don't just tell moving stories, but actually transform them into practical instructions. We bring them into everyday life. Look at the Passover Seder. Matzah, four cups of wine, the Haggadah. We don't just talk about freedom, we eat and drink it, on a night that's all about action.
The Chinese, by the way, call Judaism "the religion of removing the sinew," based on this story. The ancient Chinese nation apparently understands the secret of our ancient nation: we translate enormous events - into small details.
The most murderous attack since the Holocaust was a shocking, jarring, paradigm-shattering event. Like Yaakov, we were wounded and emerged limping. Two years later, many are responding like in the story about our forefather Yaakov in the parsha. You're invited to think about where this principle meets you, in your life.
Shabbat Shalom.
