Dayenu

My English speaking students always laugh when they learn that being told “DIE!” is not a harsh curse; rather, it is the Hebrew word for ‘enough.” Dayenu, which we will all sing during the Magid section of our upcoming sedarim, literally means “Enough for Us.” It is a song which asks the important question of whether each miracle of the Pesach story, on its own, would have truly been enough

Dayenu teaches the importance of being content with what we have. Most of us are fortunate to have “enough” in our lives. Recent earthquakes in Haiti and Chile remind us that shelter, food, water and our loved ones are the things which are truly important. Our laptops, our Blackberries, and our wallets are dear to us and hard to replace. Family photos and our children’s precious art work and tests posted on our refrigerators are sentimental. But they are just objects.

This Pesach, may we remember that we were once slaves, but now we are free. Free to appreciate and treasure all that is truly important in our lives.