The heart of the Passover Seder, other than matzah ball soup, is
the song Dayenu. Dayenu reminds us of all we have to be thankful for
to God for delivering us, literally and figuratively, from slavery.
This lively song, replete with raised voices, table thumping, and
joyous laughter recounts the things God did for the Jewish people
when He led them out of bondage in Egypt.
Dayenu means, "It would have been enough for us," or "It would have been sufficient." Thus the verses go:
Had He brought us out from Egypt, and not carried out judgments against them, it would have been sufficient!
Had He carried out judgments against them, and not smitten their first-born, it would have been sufficient!
Had He smitten their first-born, and not parted the sea for us, it would have been sufficient!
Had He parted the sea for us, and not taken us through it on dry land, it would have been sufficient!
Had He taken us through it on dry land, and not drowned our oppressors in it, it would have been sufficient!
Had He drowned our oppressors in it, and not fed us manna in the desert for forty years, it would have been sufficient!
Had He fed us manna in the desert for forty years, and not given us the Sabbath, it would have been sufficient!
Had He given us the Sabbath, and not brought us before Mount Sinai, it would have been sufficient!
Had He brought us before Mount Sinai, and not given us the Torah, it would have been sufficient!
Had He given us the Torah, and not brought us into the land of Israel, it would have been sufficient!
Had He brought us into the land of Israel, and not built for us the Holy Temple, it would have been sufficient!
But God did do all these things for us.
The message of Dayenu is gratitude. We are thankful as a people and as individuals that God led us out of slavery and to the promised land.
But I thought about what this song teaches us personally.
Had God given me life, and not surrounded me with a caring family, it would have been sufficient.
Had God surrounded me with a caring family, but not brought me the love of my wife, it would have been sufficient.
Had God brought me the love of my wife, but not granted me wonderful children, it would have been sufficient.
Had God granted me wonderful children, but not blessed me with beautiful grandchildren, it would have been sufficient.
Had God blessed me with beautiful grandchildren, but not built for me a loving home, it would have been sufficient.
Had God built for me a loving home, but not the means to express my gratitude through the written word, it would have been sufficient.
But God did do all these things for me, and what better time to express my thankfulness than at Passover and Easter.
Dayenu means, "It would have been enough for us," or "It would have been sufficient." Thus the verses go:
Had He brought us out from Egypt, and not carried out judgments against them, it would have been sufficient!
Had He carried out judgments against them, and not smitten their first-born, it would have been sufficient!
Had He smitten their first-born, and not parted the sea for us, it would have been sufficient!
Had He parted the sea for us, and not taken us through it on dry land, it would have been sufficient!
Had He taken us through it on dry land, and not drowned our oppressors in it, it would have been sufficient!
Had He drowned our oppressors in it, and not fed us manna in the desert for forty years, it would have been sufficient!
Had He fed us manna in the desert for forty years, and not given us the Sabbath, it would have been sufficient!
Had He given us the Sabbath, and not brought us before Mount Sinai, it would have been sufficient!
Had He brought us before Mount Sinai, and not given us the Torah, it would have been sufficient!
Had He given us the Torah, and not brought us into the land of Israel, it would have been sufficient!
Had He brought us into the land of Israel, and not built for us the Holy Temple, it would have been sufficient!
But God did do all these things for us.
The message of Dayenu is gratitude. We are thankful as a people and as individuals that God led us out of slavery and to the promised land.
But I thought about what this song teaches us personally.
Had God given me life, and not surrounded me with a caring family, it would have been sufficient.
Had God surrounded me with a caring family, but not brought me the love of my wife, it would have been sufficient.
Had God brought me the love of my wife, but not granted me wonderful children, it would have been sufficient.
Had God granted me wonderful children, but not blessed me with beautiful grandchildren, it would have been sufficient.
Had God blessed me with beautiful grandchildren, but not built for me a loving home, it would have been sufficient.
Had God built for me a loving home, but not the means to express my gratitude through the written word, it would have been sufficient.
But God did do all these things for me, and what better time to express my thankfulness than at Passover and Easter.
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