The command of Gid Ha’nashe forbids eating the sciatic nerve of an animal. The source of this prohibition is the story of Yaakob Abinu’s wrestle with an angel, during which he sustained an injury to this part of the thigh. The Torah writes that in commemoration of this incident, “Lo Yochelu Beneh Yisrael Et Gid Ha’nashe” – the Jewish People abstain from the Gid Ha’nashe. This verse is understood as not merely stating a historical fact, but rather establishing a prohibition against eating this part of an animal. The Sefer Ha’hinuch (listen to audio recording for precise citation) offers a beautiful explanation for the underlying reason of this Misva. He writes that this command serves as a source of encouragement and reassurance during our struggles and hardships in our state of exile. We are reminded that Esav’s angel – the Satan – set out to kill Yaakob Abinu and all his descendants, but, although the Satan succeeded in inflicting considerable pain in Yaakov, it failed to destroy him, and, in fact, Yaakob’s injury soon healed. Likewise, Yaakob’s descendants – the Jewish Nation – will suffer a great deal of pain and affliction at the hands of “Esav,” the enemy nations, over the course of our exile. But like our ancestor, we will ultimately emerge victorious, and all our wounds will be healed. By abstaining from the Gid Ha’nashe, we are reminded of Yaakob’s struggle with the angel and his ultimate triumph, and we are thus reassured that our long, bitter exile will eventually end with the coming of Mashiah and the healing of all our wounds. This prohibition applies at all times and in all locations, and, like all Torah prohibitions, is binding upon both men and women. The Gemara establishes the principle of “En Be’gidin Be’noten Ta’am” – that the Gid Ha’nashe does not have a taste. Halachically speaking, the Gid Ha’nashe is not considered food that has a flavor. The practical ramification of this principle is a case where the Gid Ha’nashe fell into kosher food, and one then removed it. Normally, if a piece of non-kosher food mixed with kosher food, then even after the piece of non-kosher food is removed, the remaining food may not be eaten, because it contains the flavor of the non-kosher food. It is only if the non-kosher food comprised one-sixtieth or less of the mixture that the food is permissible, as in such a low proportion, the non-kosher food does not impart any taste. Otherwise, the food is forbidden by virtue of the taste of non-kosher food which it had absorbed. However, due to the principle of “En Be’gidin Be’noten Ta’am,” this does not apply to the Gid Ha’nashe. If a Gid Ha’nashe mixes with kosher food and is then removed, the remaining food is permissible for consumption. Since the Gid Ha’nashe has no Halachic “taste” which it could impart into the food with which it mixes, the food may be eaten once the Gid Ha’nashe is removed. The Minhat Hinuch adds another ramification of the principle of “En Be’gidin Be’noten Ta’am.” The Rambam, in Hilchot Teshuba, delineates the process of atonement for the various different categories of sin. For a violation of an ordinary Torah prohibition (as opposed to those which carry capital punishment), atonement requires repentance and the experience of Yom Kippur. Seemingly, then, one who knowingly eats a Gid Ha’nashe achieves atonement through these two stages – by repenting, and experiencing Yom Kippur. (It is clear that accidentally eating a Gid Ha’nashe is atoned for through repentance alone; nothing more is needed to atone for an unintentional transgression.) However, the Minhat Hinuch draws our attention to the Rambam’s comments in Hilchot Yesodeh Ha’Torah, where he writes that if one commits a sinful act not due to a craving or temptation, but rather for the purpose of defying G-d, then this constitutes a Hilul Hashem (defamation of G-d’s Name). Even if one committed such an act in private, he has perpetrated a Hilul Hashem because he performed a forbidden action specifically