A Question AboutPass74 Riemer

PASS74

TORAH-FAX 5774 PASSOVER

A QUESTION ABOUT DAYENU BY RABBI JACK RIEMER
I remember a question that I asked at the seder when I was a child. It was a ood question! and I ot a nickel "rom m# "ather "or askin it. $ut I didn%t et an answer. And I ha&e been lookin "or an answer e&er since. 'his #ear I "inall# "ound it. (et me tell #ou the question "irst! and then I will tell #ou who tau ht me the answer. 'he question is a &er# sim)le one. I" #ou read the l#rics o" *a#enu care"ull#! the# make no sense. +or e,am)le! one line reads- I" .od had i&en us the wealth o" the / #)tians! but had not di&ided the sea "or us *a#enu 0 that would ha&e been enou h1 2ould that reall# ha&e been enou h1 I" .od had not di&ided the sea "or us! the / #)tians would ha&e come and either slau htered us or taken us back to be sla&es a ain. And as "or the wealth that the# a&e us when we le"t! the# would ha&e taken that back too. So how can #ou sa# that 3ust ha&in their wealth would ha&e been enou h! e&en i" .od did not di&ide the sea "or us1 2hat sense does that line make1 'he same question can be asked about e&er# &erse o" *a#enu. 4I" .od had di&ided the sea "or us! but had not led us across it on dr# land! that would ha&e been enou h.5 Reall#1 I" .od had not led us across! the / #)tians would ha&e cau ht u) to us! and the whole /,odus would ha&e been o&er almost as soon as it be an. 2ould that ha&e been enou h1 I don%t think so. And "urther on the *a#enu sa#s- 4I" .od had 3ust brou ht us to 6ount Sinai and not i&en us the 'orah! that would ha&e been enou h5. *oes that make sense to #ou1 2as 6t. Sinai such a beauti"ul site that 3ust bein there would ha&e been

A Question AboutPass74 Riemer

enou h "or us! e&en i" we did not recei&e the 'orah there1 2ithout the 'orah! there would be no 8ewish )eo)le! and there would be no 8ewish li"e. So how on earth can the son sa# that i" .od had 3ust brou ht us to 6ount Sinai and not i&en us the 'orah that would ha&e been enou h1 *oes that make an# sense to #ou1 'hat is the question that can be asked about almost e&er# sin le &erse in the *a#enu. 2ould it reall# ha&e been enou h i" we did not recei&e the Shabbat1 9an #ou ima ine a 8ewish li"e without the Shabbat1 2ould it ha&e reall# been enou h i" .od had not i&en us the manna1 I don%t think so! "or without the manna we would ha&e died o" star&ation in the wilderness! and the whole 8ewish enter)rise would ha&e ended. So what sense does *a#enu make1 'he answer to this question I learned this #ear "rom Rabbi :illel .oldber ! who is the editor o" the Intermountain 8ewish ;ews! and who is a res)ected scholar o" the 6ussar mo&ement. :e has written a new book this #ear! a book called 'he <ne,)ected Road! and in this book! he has a cha)ter that deals with this question. And this is what he sa#s;otice that e&er# stan=a is in the )lural- 4I" .od had not taken us out5! 4i" .od had not i&en us!5 4i" .od had not s)lit the sea "or us!5 4i" .od had not led us throu h the sea!5 etc. etc. etc. 2ho is the 4us51 Rabbi .oldber sa#s it is not 3ust the eneration that went out o" / #)t. A"ter all! the# are not the ones who wrote *a#enu. ><s5 is #ou and me. It is all the 8ews who are ali&e toda#! and all the 8ews down throu h the centuries who ha&e athered at the seder and sun *a#enu. *a#enu! he sa#s! is not a recountin o" e&ents that took )lace lon a o. It is not a historical account o" what our ancestors e,)erienced when the# le"t / #)t. It is not a celebration or a recollection o" the )ast. It is a reli&in o" the )ast. 'he ke# to the seder is the line that sa#s- in e&er# eneration each )erson must "eel as i" he

A Question AboutPass74 Riemer

himsel" went out o" / #)t. 2hen a )erson sits at the seder! he or she is su))osed to "eel as i" he or she is re0e,)eriencin the oin out o" / #)t! and the crossin o" the sea! and the comin to 6t. Sinai! and the recei&in o" the 'orah! and the 3ourne# to the Promised (and. I" #ou think o" it that wa#! sa#s Rabbi .oldber ! then the whole seder and the whole *a#enu take on a new meanin . 'his is our li"e! and as we retell the stor# ste) b# ste)! we re0e,)erience oursel&es li&in throu h each o" these moments. And when #ou do that! each ste) in the stor# "eels di""erent. 2hat was it like when we ot the i"ts "rom our / #)tian nei hbors1 2hat did we "eel when we saw the sea s)lit be"ore our e#es at the moment when we needed that miracle so des)eratel#1 2hat did we "eel when we recei&ed the Shabbat@which enabled us to know what "reedom "rom sla&er# means once a week e&er since1 2hat did we "eel when we stood at Sinai and saw the mountain on "ire1 2hat did we "eel when we recei&ed the 'orah that chan ed our li&es "ore&er1 /ach and e&er# one o" these moments was a wonder! and a milestone! and an incredible! ri&etin ! thrillin e,)erience. And when #ou li&e throu h a wondrous e,)erience! #our mind and #our soul "ocus onl# on this moment. At this moment! #ou do not think o" what was #esterda#! and #ou do not think o" what will be tomorrow. Aou are cau ht u) onl# in the e,citement! the wonder and the thrill o" what is oin on be"ore #our e#es ri ht now. 2hen the Israelites stood at the sea! the# were in )anic. $ehind them the# could see the / #)tians in hot )ursuit. In "ront o" them the# could see the an r# wa&es. And then the waters s)lit1 At that moment! the hearts o" the Israelites were "ull o" wonder and "ull o" e,citement and "ull o" ratitude. At that moment! no one worried about what will ha))en tomorrow! or about how will we "ind "ood in the

A Question AboutPass74 Riemer

desert or about an#thin else. All the# could think o" at that moment was the awesome! une,)ected! incredible! wondrous e&ent that was takin )lace be"ore their e#es. Rabbi .oldber sa#s the# were o&erwhelmed! dumbstruck! astonished. And he sa#s that so it was with each o" the other e&ents that we recount in the *a#enu. /ach o" these moments was awesome! and their hearts at each o" these moments was "ull to o&er"lowin . /ach o" these moments was so awesome! so s)lendid! so ur entl# needed! so ama=in su""icient. And that is how we ou ht to sin the *a#enu e&er# #ear at the seder. 2e ou ht to sin it &erse b# &erse! with the "eelin that we are there! and that this is ha))enin be"ore our e#es. 2e ou ht to sin the *a#enu e,ultin l#! with a sense o" wonder! with a "eelin that this is our stor#! that this is ha))enin ! not 3ust to our ancestors but to us. And i" we can do that! i" we can sin the son in this s)irit! then *a#enu 0 that would reall# be enou h to make our seder e,)erience meanin "ul and 3o#ous. (et me ask #ou- Is it hard "or #ou to ima ine these wondrous e,)eriences that *a#enu describes as ha))enin to #ou1 Is it hard "or #ou to see them as i" the# were takin )lace be"ore #our &er# e#es1 I can understand how #ou mi ht "eel this wa#! but! i" #ou do! let me i&e #ou one or two e,am)les "rom #our own li&es that ma# hel) #ou ras) the wa# Rabbi .oldber wants us to relate to the ste)s in the *a#enu1 I am sure that man# o" #ou ha&e had the e,)erience o" seein #our newborn child "or the "irst time1 9an #ou still remember the thrill and the e,citement that #ou "elt at that moment1 9an #ou remember how #ou counted this child%s "in ers and toes! and snu led and hu ed it! and looked into its e#es! and then breathed a si h o" relie" that this bab# was intact and well1 2as #our heart not o&er"lowin with 3o# to behold! that it was 0 literall#0

A Question AboutPass74 Riemer

at the moment when #ou beheld #our newborn child "or the &er# "irst time1 Aes1 ;ow let me ask #ou a question- *id an# o" #ou at that moment think ahead and worr# about how well or how )oorl# this child would someda# )er"orm at his bar mit=&ah or her bar mit=&ah1 *id an# o" #ou at that sacred! and ama=in moment! when #ou looked at #our newborn child "or the &er# "irst time think about how well or how )oorl# this child would do in school! or about what colle e #ou should think o" sendin him or her to1 Cr where #ou would et the mone# with which to )a# the tuition1 C" course notD 'hose thin s were a million miles awa# "rom #our mind at that awesome moment. Aour heart was "ull o" 3o# and wonder o&er the si ht o" this child. All thou hts about the di""icult# o" the )re nanc# had disa))eared "rom #our memor# the moment #ou looked at this child. All thou hts about what will be with this child ten #ears "rom now or twent# #ears "rom now were "ar "rom #our mind at this moment. All #ou could think o" at this ama=in ! trans"ormati&e! and sacred moment in #our li"e was the wonder o" this child who was lookin u) at #ou. And so it is at man# other moments in our li&es. 2hen #ou stand under the :u))ah at #our child%s weddin ! #ou do not i&e a thou ht to all the di""iculties and all the )roblems that were in&ol&ed in raisin this child and brin in him or her to this da#. 'hose thin s are sim)l# not )art o" #our consciousness at this moment. And #ou do not i&e a thou ht to what ma# lie ahead. Aour heart is "ull 0 "ull to o&er"lowin with the 3o# o" this moment! and )ast and "uture sim)l# do not e,ist. Aour head and #our soul are onl# in the )resent. And so it was! sa#s Rabbi .oldber ! with each ste)! with each sta e! with each moment! in the 3ourne# o" the Israelites "rom sla&er# to "reedom! "rom / #)t to the Promised (and! and so it should be "or us when we sit at the seder and re0 e,)erience in the most )ersonal wa# what ha))ened then.

A Question AboutPass74 Riemer

I am rate"ul to Rabbi .oldber "or ha&in success"ull# answered a question that I ha&e wondered about "or a lon ! lon time. And I ho)e that #ou will be rate"ul to him too! i" #ou retell this e,)lanation o" his at the seder table toni ht. And I ho)e that #ou do more than 3ust retell this e,)lanation! althou h that is surel# a ood thin to do. I ho)e that #ou will reli&e the moment! the wa# the Israelites did. I ho)e #ou will reli&e the moment and "eel some o" the e,citement! some o" the ama=ement! some o" the wonder that the# "elt! when #ou sin *a#enu at #our seder toni ht. +or i" #ou do that! that surel# will be su""icient to make #our seder 3o#"ul and blessed and un"or ettable. And to this! let us all sa#- Amen.