What does this mean, "It would have been enough"? Surely no one of these would indeed have been enough for us. Dayenu means to celebrate each step toward freedom as if it were enough, then to start out on the next step. It means that if we reject each step because it is not the whole liberation, we will never be able to achieve the whole liberation. It means to sing each verse as if it were the whole song—and then sing the next verse.

Had God:

Brought us out of Egypt and not divided the sea for us—Dayenu
Divided the sea and not permitted us to cross on dry land—Dayenu 
Permitted us to cross on dry land and not sustained us for forty years in the desert—
 Dayenu
Sustained us for forty years in the desert and not fed us with manna—Dayenu
Fed us with manna and not given us the Sabbath—Dayenu
Given us the Sabbath and not brought us to Mount Sinai—Dayenu
Brought us to Mount Sinai and not given us the Torah—Dayenu
Given us the Torah and not led us into the land of Israel—Dayenu
Led us into the land ofIsrael and not built for us the Temple—Dayenu 
Built for us the Temple and not sent us prophets of truth—Dayenu 
Sent us prophets of truth and not made us a holy people—Dayenu 
For all these, alone and together, we say—Dayenu! 


haggadah Section: -- Cup #2 & Dayenu
Source: Velveteen Rabbi's Haggadah for Pesach