Dayenu

Dayenu!

This year Passover is celebrated with Shabbat. Instead of a d’var about the Torah reading (which tells us how to observe the festival), I thought I would make a comment about one of our favorite parts of the Haggadah: Dayenu.

            If we look closely at the poem, we can see that it is divided into three parts:

            (1) There are 5 stanzas about leaving slavery.

            (2) There are 5 stanzas about miracles.

            (3) There are 5 stanzas about our relationship to God.

            This, then, is the core of our Passover celebration: leaving slavery, miracles, and our our worship of God.

             Dayenu is illuminated further by the sage Ben Zoma, who says in Pirke Avot, “Who is happy? One who is satisfied with his lot.” The Seder’s emphasis on freedom, miracles, and our relationship with God helps us understand Ben Zoma’s teaching: be grateful for what we have, and express our gratitude to the One who has provided us with freedom and blessings. This makes Passover a celebration of thanksgiving as well.  May you have a Chag Sameach.