Dayenu translates to “it would have been enough,” or “it would have been sufficient,” and has been a traditional Passover song for more than a millennia.
Today, the song can still express our gratitude for all we have been blessed with in our lives. It is a time we can not only reflect on how God has led us in the past, but also reflect on the ongoing needs in our own community to those less fortunate and less blessed than we are.
Five Stanzas Depicting Redemption from Slavery
If He had brought us out of Egypt...
If He had executed justice upon the Egyptians...
If He had executed justice upon their gods...
If He had slain their first-born...
If He had given to us their health and wealth...
Five Stanzas of Miracles and Divine Intervention
If He had split the sea for us...
If He had led us through on dry land...
If He had drowned our oppressors...
If He had provided for our needs in the wilderness for 40 years...
If He had fed us manna...
Five Stanzas of God’s Love for His People
If He had given us Shabbat...
If He had led us to Mount Sinai...
If He had given us the Torah...
If He had brought us into the Land of Israel...
If He built the Temple for us...
After each stanza...dayenu... it would have been enough.
Written by Erin Parfet
