Po Ve Sham

One of the most celebrated Passover piyutim—liturgical poems—is “Dayenu,” which means “it would have been enough.”

The piyyut comprises fifteen lines, each highlighting a distinct miracle performed for us, suggesting that each alone could have been sufficient—

This year, amid global turbulence—the ongoing war, the continued holding of hostages in Gaza, tensions with Iran, and unsettling climates on college campuses in the United States—it challenges our spirit to utter “Dayenu,” a word that traditionally signifies enoughness. In these times, it feels more accurate to say we have had more than enough “of trouble”. Yet, “Dayenu” is not just a refrain of sufficient blessing but a  resilient stand and a call to defiance. This ancient poem, despite its unclear origins and absence from early rabbinic writings like the Mishna or Midrash, has echoed through generations.

“Dayenu” first appears in the writings of Rav Amram Gaon and Rav Saadia Gaon in the 9th century, an era marked by its own perils.

Some scholars suggest “Dayenu” was a counter-narrative to Christian hymns of the time, which often cast Jews in a negative light following the narrative paths such as those laid out in “Peri Pascha” by Melito of Sardis . There Sardis sharply criticizes the Jewish people, placing the responsibility for Jesus’s death squarely on our shoulders (Some argue that Dayenu was written as a direct response to this). But the idea of the counter narrative is not limited to this Poem. I would rather suggest that it is extended by it as the Seder itself might be a counter narrative. 

Despite the harsh scrutiny and oppression our ancestors faced following the fall of Jerusalem in the 70th year CE, Rabbinical Judaism—through resilience, creativity, and hope—reshaped our rites. This adaptation harnessed our collective memory, providing grounding experiences for the present and forging a pathway toward the future. The Passover sacrifice was replaced by a Seder that enabled us to celebrate our freedom despite constrained circumstances. While Roman oppression threatened to force us back into a narrow, Egypt-like mindset the seder stood as a creative act of spiritual defiance.  

Referring to the generation of the desert, the great  thinker Rabbi Jonathan Sacks poignantly noted that Moses’s greatest success and failure mirrored each other.  While he managed to lead the Jews out of Egypt, he was never able to extricate Egypt out of the Jews. 

The seder is the tool we use to assure that we are never going back to the land of narrowness. Passover invites us to look at our sometimes difficult realities through a lens of potential and prosperity. “Dayenu,” is not a song of conformism but a profound act of defiance. It is a reminder that even when surrounded by adversity, we must cling to the sparks of light we find. In the spirit of “Dayenu,” we celebrate what we have, because that is the premise for us to be able to walk the walk of redemption today.

And, so, Can we walk the walk? Can we find redemption? Can we reach beyond our feelings of “we had enough” and try to focus on what is good even when not complete? 

Our tradition wasn’t in denial when saying Dayenu. A proof of that is that we conclude our Seder with the words “Next Year in Jerusalem”. At the end of the seder we acknowledge that our journey towards redemption continues,  however in order to be able to keep walking, we must celebrate our triumphs. “In our Generation” ,while these times are constantly reminding us that we ought to remain vigilant on Monday night,defying some of the very difficult circumstances we are experiencing, that make the threat of going back to narrowness very real, we will recline as free people and we will sing Dayenu. Celebrating our freedom  doesn’t mean normalizing what is wrong, such as having many of our siblings held captive in Gaza, but  it rather means gathering all that is good so we can keep walking, advocating and fighting for what is right. So yes, this year Dayenu, and Yet “Next Year in Jerusalem”.