Gid hanasheh

Gid hanasheh (Hebrew: גִּיד הַנָּשֶׁה‎) is the term for sciatic nerve in Judaism. It may not be eaten by Jews according to Halacha (Jewish Law). The laws of prohibition regarding the gid hanasheh are found in Masechet Chullin (Hullin) Perek 7.

Source

The Torah (Genesis 32) recounts that Jacob fought with an angel (according to Rashi this was Esau's guardian angel) who could not beat him. At the end of the fight, the angel moves a nerve in Jacob's leg causing him to limp. The verse then states: "Therefore the children of Israel (Jacob) do not eat the gid hanasheh until today."

Removal

The removal of the gid hanasheh and chelev (other forbidden fats) is called nikkur. Since it is labor intensive to remove all the forbidden parts of the hindquarters of an animal, the entire hindquarters are usually sold to the non-kosher market outside of Israel and a few other markets with sufficient Jewish populations to justify the expense.

Kashrut

Principles	Milk and meat in Jewish law Pareve Hechsher Mashgiach Kil'ayim

Kosher meat	Kosher animals Shechita limb of a live animal Foreleg, cheeks and maw Prohibition against slaughtering an animal and its offspring on the same day Chelev Gid hanasheh Terefah

Kosher foods	Bishul Yisrael Chalav Yisrael Pas Yisroel Chadash Orlah Kosher locust Kosher fish Kosher wine

Kosher certification agencies	Badatz BC Kosher Central Rabbinical Congress Chicago Rabbinical Council COR EarthKosher Kosher Certification Edah HaChareidis Kosher Check Kashruth Council of Canada Kosher Supervision of America London Beth Din OK Kosher Certification Orthodox Union Rabbinical Council of California Star-K Tav HaYosher Triangle K

Related	Magen Tzedek Kosher airline meal Kosher restaurant Kosher tourism Civil laws regarding Kashrut

Gid hanasheh

Source

Removal

See also