The content of Dayenu (literally “it would have been enough”) carries a deep amount of wisdom.

Dayenu consists of 15 stanzas referencing different historical contexts the Israelites experienced, from slavery in Egypt to the building of the Temple in Israel. After each stanza, we sing the chorus, signifying that if this was the total of God’s miraculous intervention into the lives of the Israelites, it would have been sufficient.

One of the primary purposes of the Passover seder is to make us feel as if we personally experienced the exodus from Egypt and the redemption from slavery to freedom.  Dayenu provides a powerful contemporary outlook on life, a call to mindfulness about the way we lead our lives and get caught up in the busy moment to moment craziness.

Judaism offers an outlook on wealth, consumption, and sufficiency that is very counter-cultural.  InPirkei Avot (Ethics of our Fathers) 4:1, Ben Zoma teaches: “Who is rich? The one who is content with what one has.” The wisdom of Judaism is that, if we want to experience delight on special occasions we also need moments of restraint. 

From income inequality to climate change, we can all see how the refusal to entertain limits on what we do and how much we consume results in destructive consequences. Take a moment to return to a sense of Dayenu.   Think deeply about what is enough and how very lucky we are.   Embrace gratitude.  We have the potential to change ourselves and our world and may we be blessed on our journey is doing so.  

Hag Sameach!


haggadah Section: Conclusion