Living Into The Dayenu

Dayenu -- pronounced Die-yay-noo -- is the title of a festive, up-tempo song sung during the Passover Seder. It means "It would have been enough".

The song lists fifteen blessings and says that any one of them on their own would have been enough.

Had He brought us all out from Egypt --
It would have been enough.
It would have been enough.
It would have been enough.
It would have been enough.

Had He just given us the Sabbath --
It would have been enough.
It would have been enough.
It would have been enough.
It would have been enough.

Had He just given us the Torah --
It would have been enough.
It would have been enough.
It would have been enough.
It would have been enough.

The song makes no conclusions about all of this bounty -- it just celebrates it. It says "Look! Look! See what we have been given -- so many treasures that we are overwhelmed with G-d's abundant love, so many wonders that we can only marvel at the extent to which we are loved and taken care of by G-d. " Interestingly it never says that nothing would be enough. It is an acknowledgment that in a relationship, everybody gives something. -- even G-d.

And to hear this sung by 15 or 20 people who have sung it their whole lives -- what a joy. Each verse becoming happier, louder, accompanied with hands pounding the rhythm of the tune on the table., until it ends with one rousing chorus of Dayenu!

I want more Dayenu in my life. More knowing when it is time to stand up and shout Thank You when a blessing happens. More knowing what enough really is.

I want to be a Dayenu kind of gal.