National Poetry Month: Dayenu

[epershand]

My favorite piece of Passover liturgy comes from near the end of the main service part of the service, shortly before the meal. It comes after the story of the Jews' Exodus from Egypt, and it's a song about being thankful for what Adonai has given us. Much of it is a very literal retelling of the story of the Exodus, but the way it's framed means a lot to me.

It seems almost like a call for complacency, to accept what one has and not push for more, and yet it isn't--it's an appreciation of every stage of the path from slavery to freedom, a statement that it means something even without the spiritual gift. And at the same time, the way it links together every two steps makes the eventual resolution seem inevitable as a natural process from the first line. I love its stepwise gratitude, the idea that if Adonai had stopped helping the Israelites at any stage in the process, it still would have been an amazing gift. And it would have been sufficient. It makes the full gift all the more meaningful.

I've found "Dayenu" a particularly helpful frame through which to view the US's path towards LGBT civil rights over the last few years. Because while we aren't there yet, every step forward is a huge thing. We will get there (see, for instance, today's FiveThirtyEight post on support for equal marriage rights). We are not there yet, and it's necessary to keep pushing, but every stage is enough to be worthy of celebration and gratitude.


The English below is a not-particularly graceful version of it I've patched together from assorted web translations and my memories of translations I've seen elsewhere.

Dayenu ("It would have been enough")

If He had brought us out of Egypt and had not carried out judgment against them
   it would have been enough.
If He had carried out judgment against them and not against their idols
   it would have been enough.
If He had destroyed their idols and not slain their first-born children
   it would have been enough.
If He had slain their first born and had not given us their wealth
   it would have been enough.
If He had given to us their and wealth and had not split the sea for us
   it would have been enough.

If He had split the sea for us and had not led us through on dry land
   it would have been enough.
If He had led us through on dry land and not drowned our oppressors
   it would have been enough.
If He had drowned our oppressors and not provided our needs in the wilderness for 40 years
   it would have been enough.
If He had provided for our needs in the wilderness for 40 years and not fed us manna
   it would have been enough.
If He had fed us manna and not given us Shabbat
   it would have been enough.

If He had given us Shabbat, and not led us to Mount Sinai
   it would have been enough.
If He had led us to Mount Sinai and not given us the Torah
   it would have been enough.
If He had given us the Torah and not brought us into the Land of Israel
   it would have been enough.
If He had brought us into the Land of Israel and not built the Temple for us
   it would have been enough.

(Buahahahaha all the non-Jews who read this are probably like "oh, that is so nice and thoughtful." And all the Jews are sitting there thinking "CURSES MOLLY WHY HAVE YOU EARWORMED ME?")

Comments

[epershand]

You have earwormed yourself with this post.

Dai, dayenu, dai, dayenu, dai, dayenu, dayenu dayenu! (Dayenu)

[tei]

...I'm not even Jewish and I know this song. EARWORMED COUNT: +1.

[epershand]

Muahahahahaha

[jesse_the_k]

that would be earpwned?

[ursamajor]

Earwormed via latest. Luckily this part comes after we've had at least some wine! ;)

day day-enu day day-enu day day-enu dayenu dayeNU (dayenu)

[oliveoyl.livejournal.com]

aaaaaaaah EARWORMED!

But so nice. Makes me think of Elie Wiesel's commentary that always showed up in our Haggadah at school: 'Dayenu is the song of our gratitude. A Jew defines himself by his capacity for gratitude. A Jewish philosopher was once asked, “What is the opposite of nihilism?” And he said, “Dayenu,” the ability to be thankful.'