A fellow wants to sell his late grandfather’s violin and approaches a friend who is an antique dealer for a quote.
The dealer hums and haws before he mumbles, “Old fiddles are not worth very much.”
Disappointed, the man asks the dealer to explain the difference between a fiddle and a violin.
“Ah,” the dealer says, “If I am buying it from you, it’s a fiddle; if you are buying it from me, it’s a violin.”
Certain moments during the Pesach Seder are especially animated. Like “Dayeinu”. In homes around the globe, everyone joins in to sing about all the wonderful things that G-d did for us during the Exodus from Egypt.
Every once in a while, though, somebody reads the famous poem with a discerning eye and asks the obvious question. Half of what we say there makes no sense.
We say:
“Had He split the sea and not led us across it on dry land- dayeinu (it would have been enough for us).”
“If he had taken us across on dry land and not drowned our enemies- dayeinu.”
“If he had drowned our enemies, but not provided food for us in the desert for forty years- dayeinu.”
Huh?!
Had G-d not taken us through the sea, drowned the Egyptians or fed us in the desert, we would have died! How can we honestly claim that any one of those steps would have been “sufficient”?
You can find several classical answers to this question. Here’s a different perspective. It’s all about how you read Dayeinu.
Pesach is a personal spiritual-growth launchpad. That includes revisiting how we view our lives- and making some changes.
For many of us, our personal version of Dayeinu might go something like this:
If I give charity regularly, but don’t go to Shul- dayeinu (I have done enough for G-d).
If I were to go to Shul, but only once a year- dayeinu.
If I not only go to Shul once a year, but once a month- dayeinu.
If I not only go to Shul once a month, but also eat kosher at home, dayeinu.
In other words, we believe we do more than enough for Him, but He often doesn’t do enough for us.
When you look at life from that perspective, you may wonder how you can ever say dayeinu (it is enough for me). You’re giving G-d violins- and getting fiddles in return. Regardless of what you have, you feel you need more.
A chosid once came to ask the first Chabad Rebbe, Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi, for a blessing.
The Rebbe said to him: “You don’t hesitate to detail what you need, but you omit to mention what you are needed for…”
Pesach challenges us to shift our focus, to introduce an objective dayeinu to our lives.
That dayeinu goes something like this:
If I wake up in the morning, but can’t get out of bed, dayeinu (it’s enough reason to be indebted to Him).
If I get out of bed, but don’t have running water- dayeinu.
If I have running water, but not a wardrobe full of clothing to wear, dayeinu.
If I have clothing to choose from, but not a fridge full of food, dayeinu.
If I have a fridge full of food, but no job to go to, dayeinu.
If I have employment, but no transport to get me there, dayeinu.
If I have employment, my own transport and a family to make all the effort worthwhile- dayeinu.
Dayeinu is a reminder of how much we have to be thankful for. When we realise that, we appreciate how appropriate it is to give a little back to Him, considering all that He does for us.
