Page 3 - HaMizrachi #8 Pesach

Torat HaMizrachi

Rabbi Doron Perez

DAYEINU

ABSURDITY AND THE ART OF APPRECIATION
T he Dayeinu song seems utterly aimlessly in the wilderness. Without unprecedented miracle and for bringing

our oppressors to justice.
absurd!
Unraveling
this
completing the entire series – Exodus,
absurdity provides a powerful
insight into the art of appreciation. Revelation, Promised Land and Temple This then is the profound lesson of
– the process would have either ended in
disarray or disaster. Dayeinu – to feel perfectly grateful
It Would NOT Have Been Enough in imperfect situations. If we focus
incessantly on the final goal of any
A close look at the song reveals that A Gratitude Attitude undertaking, the destination of every
many stanzas don’t seem to make any Indeed, the song is senseless only when life journey, the endpoint of every
sense at all. viewed with the ultimate goal in mind. If beginning, then we simply won’t be able
the purpose of Dayeinu was to celebrate to savor any part of the process itself.
Here are two examples: If G-d would reaching the final goal of redemption, it
have brought us out of Egypt and not The positioning of Dayeinu in the
split the sea, Dayeinu – It would have been never would have been enough until the Haggadah is significant. It comes
enough for us. destination was reached.
immediately after completing the story
However, Dayeinu is about a different
If G-d would have split the sea and not of the Exodus and is our first reflection
given us food and water to drink in frame of mind – a mindset of gratitude on those events. As the first expression
the desert, Dayeinu – It would have been and appreciation. It is about the process of praise and thanksgiving, Dayeinu
enough for us. not the result. It is about the journey, forms the foundation of the Hallel
not the destination. that follows soon. It provides us with
Really? a powerful spiritual paradigm – to live
When we see how far we have come
If G-d had brought us out of Egypt but as opposed to how far there is to go, life with a profound attitude of gratitude
not split the sea, we would have all died what we have rather than what we and practice the oft elusive art of
at the hands of the Egyptian army. lack, we are able to feel deep gratitude appreciation.
irrespective of whether or not we have
If G-d had split the sea but not given us achieved our final aim. And hence we A Modern Dayeinu
food and water, we would have all died of are able to appreciate the enormity of In this spirit, I have written a modern-
starvation and heat exhaustion in the desert.
every step along the way. day Dayeinu song in honor of Israel,
It most certainly would not have been which appears in the Seder Companion
enough! Therefore, Dayeinu means it would have later in this publication. Israel is still
been enough to say thank you. If G-d had some distance from the ideal moral and
It is clear that every stage is incomplete brought us out of Egypt but not split spiritual society we wish it to be. Yet this
without the realization of the stages the sea, this miraculous act of freedom should never cloud our ability to express
which follow. If the redemption process would have been enough for us to thank heartfelt appreciation for its enormous
would have been held up at any one Him irrespective of what the future held. accomplishments every step of the way.
of the stages, it certainly would not If G-d would have split the sea and we
have been enough – we would either would have died in the desert, we should Rabbi Doron Perez is Chief Executive
have died in the desert or wandered still have thanked Him for such an of World Mizrachi

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