According to Rambam – We Refrain From Eating the Sciatic Nerve – Not Because of Any Prophetic Commandment by Yaakov (Jacob) But Because of the Prophetic Commandment Given by Hashem to Moshe (Moses)

posted in: English Divrei Torah | 0
Rambam
Rambam

The last Mishna in Chapter 7 of Chulin as translated by Sefaria.org states:

Sheep are kosher animals.

The prohibition of eating the sciatic nerve applies to a kosher animal and does not apply to a non-kosher animal. Rabbi Yehuda says: It applies even to a non-kosher animal. Rabbi Yehuda said in explanation: Wasn’t the sciatic nerve forbidden for the children of Jacob, as it is written: “Therefore the children of Israel eat not the sciatic nerve” (Genesis 32:33), yet the meat of a non-kosher animal was still permitted to them? Since the sciatic nerve of non-kosher animals became forbidden at that time, it remains forbidden now. The Rabbis said to Rabbi Yehuda: The prohibition was stated in Sinai, but it was written in its place, in the battle of Jacob and the angel despite the fact that the prohibition did not take effect then.

Rambam comments: And pay attention to this great principle (quoted in this Mishna as the authoritative view). Namely, from Sinai the sciatic nerve was forbidden. And you should know that whatever we refrain from doing or (alternatively) do today is only because of Hashem’s commandments to us via Moshe (Moses), not because Hashem commanded it to the prophets that preceded him.

For example, we refrain from eating the limbs from a living animal not on account that Hashem forbade the eating the limbs from a living animal to the sons of Noah; but because Moshe (Moses) forbade us a limb from a living animal via what was commanded at Sinai that such a limb would remain forbidden. And similarly, we do not circumcise on account that Avraham circumcised himself and the people of his house, but rather because Hashem commanded through Moshe that we circumcise, just as Avraham, peace be unto him circumcised; and so too the sciatic nerve, we are not continuing this practice because of a prohibition by Yaakov our forefather but rather on account of the command of Moshe Rabbeinu.

Be aware that they said 613 commandments were told to Moshe at Sinai and all these (commandments stated above) are part of the commandments.

Here we see evidence against the viewpoint which claims that at Mount Sinai we continued to be defined as the sons of Noah with the addition of other commandments. It turns out according to Rambam (Maimonides) that we are no longer “sons of Noah” but something completely different. It is still not clear to me whether the change in our status (according to Rambam) occurred at Sinai or earlier.