Appreciating

Part 3 of 4...

At many Sederim (ritual meals to celebrate the holiday of Passover) one of the most enthusiastically-rendered songs is Dayeinu. In Hebrew, the rough translation of the word means, "It would have been enough!" The melody is lively - the chorus repeats and even young children frequently chime in.

Dayeinu
Ilu hotsi, hotsianu,
hotsianu mimitsrayim,
hotsianu mimitsrayim,
Dayeinu!

Had God brought us out of Egypt, and not supported us in the wilderness,
It would have been enough!

Chorus: Da, dayeinu! (3X)
Dayeinu! Dayeinu!

It would have been enough!

Ilu natan, natan lanu,
natan lanu et hashabbat,
natan lanu et hashabbat,
Dayeinu!

Had God given us the Sabbath and not the Torah
It would have been enough!

Ilu natan, natan lanu,
natan lanu et hatorah,
natan lanu et hatorah,
Dayeinu!

Had God given us the Torah and not brought us to the land of Israel
It would have been enough!

COMMENTARY
"Dayenu teaches us to switch from the mentality of always wanting more to being grateful for what we have." (Source: A Family Haggadah II; Shoshana Silberman; Kar-Ben Copies; 1997).


DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
I. When it comes to goal setting, so often we focus on the ultimate goal and forget to acknowledge or celebrate the steps along the way. When tasks seem too overwhelming, organizational and time-management experts counsel us to break the task into smaller steps. This helps prevent a sense of being paralyzed by the enormity of the task.

In your own life, identify some steps worth celebrating on a goal you are working towards.

II. What are some things in your life that you are grateful for? How can you incorporate a sense of mindfulness for those things into your daily life?