Dayenu–Singing and
Learning
How lucky we are when we come upon a prayer
that we know how to sing. Putting the words to a familiar tune allows them to
flow more easily from our lips. It’s even more exciting when we discover that
the words we are singing can also be instructive.
Such is the case with Dayenu,
certainly one of the favorites of the Hagaddah. As
you are enjoying the singing of Dayenu at your Seder
table, take the time to discuss some of the following:
Dayenu–it would have been enough for us
When is it appropriate to say, "I’ve had
enough?" How does Dayenu respond to a world in
which greed and over-consumption are far too prevalent? Think and discuss how
the mitzvot encourage us to give up something–Tzedakah,
Kashrut and Shabbat teach us to do without money,
food and activity–yet we still have enough of all of these.
Had God freed us from
In this case, "enough" is not to
combat greed, but rather to avoid seeing pain on our enemies. What is the
relationship between success and personal sacrifice? Is "No pain, no
gain" always a true statement? Think about the pain and suffering which is
necessary in combating illness, in order to achieve a successful outcome.
Had he drowned our oppressors,
but not fed us manna in the desert for forty years, it would have been enough
for us.
A number of stanzas in Dayenu
reflect the above message. In each case, the result is that God would have
helped us, but ultimately we would have died anyway–at the hands of the
Egyptians, from drowning, or, in this case, from starvation. Would we say
"dayenu" in these situations? Is it truly a
blessing to have a partial redemption? Think again about a person with a
serious illness–can one be grateful for a single good day in the midst of many
difficult ones? Do we take the time to express gratitude for the small, harder
to notice, miracles?
Had He fed us manna, but not given us
the Shabbat, it would have been enough for us.
Is our physical survival sufficient without a
strong spiritual life? Is it truly enough to have food in our stomachs if we are
not able to nourish our souls? If the answer is no, then why are we saying Dayenu here, and in similarly phrased stanzas?
Had He brought us to
What would be the benefit of arriving at
Sinai without actually receiving the Torah? Woody Allen said that 90% of life
is "just showing up." Is it enough to "just show up" at the
seder, the synagogue, the shiva house, etc. or do expect more of ourselves? On the
other hand, there is a miracle in itself in having the entire Israelite
population together at the foot of
Had He given us the Torah without
leading us to the
What is the relationship between Zionism and
Mitzvah observance? Can we have one without the other, and which is more
important? Is secular Zionism enough? Is mitzvah observance which does not lead
to a stronger State of Israel enough?
I hope your Seder will be enhanced by these
and other questions. Your Seder should be an occasion for fun and family, but
also for a renewed commitment to Jewish education, ritual practice and a
spiritual connection to God. When it comes to Judaism, let us never say Dayenu. There is always more to do and learn