Thanks to Lori in Pennsylvania for putting me on to this great prayer. According to Wikipedia, it is a prayer the Jews offer as part of their Passover celebration. It is called Dayenu which essentially means “it would have sufficed.” It contains a series of statements about God’s blessings claiming each blessing would have been enough if God had only given that blessing, but He didn’t only give that blessing; He gave more.
This week I’m going to share the prayer with you. My plan is to write my own for next week. Maybe you can write one as well and share it with us in our Springboard for Your Spiritual Life.
If He had brought us out of Egypt, and not carried out judgments against them–Dayenu, it would have sufficed!
If He had carried out judgments against them, and not against their idols–Dayenu, it would have sufficed!
If He had destroyed their idols, and had not smitten their first-born–Dayenu, it would have sufficed!
If He had smitten their firstborn ,and had not given us their wealth–Dayenu, it would have sufficed!
If He had given us their wealth, and had not split the sea for us–Dayenu, it would have sufficed!
If He had split the sea for us, and had not taken us through it on dry land–Dayenu, it would have sufficed!
If He had taken us through the sea on dry land, and had not drowned our oppressors in it–Dayenu, it would have sufficed!
If He had drown our oppressors in it, and had not supplied our needs in the desert for forty years–Dayenu, it would have sufficed!
If He had supplied our needs in the desert for forty years, and had not fed us the manna–Dayenu, it would have sufficed!
If He had fed us manna, and had not given us the Shabbat–Dayenu, it would have sufficed!
If He had given us the Shabbat, and had not brought us before Mount Sinai–Dayenu, it would have sufficed!
If He had brought us before Mount Sinai, and had not given us the Torah–Dayenu, it would have sufficed.
If He had given us the Torah, and had not brought us into the land of Israel–Dayenu, it would have sufficed!
If He had brought us into the land of Israel, and not built for us the Holy Temple–Dayenu, it would have sufficed!
What a great form and model of a thanksgiving prayer. I hope it motivates you as it does me.