Dayenu – דַּיֵּנוּ

If He had saved my mother from the שואה (Holocaust) and not led her path to Israel and then America,

דַּיֵּנוּ Dayenu, it would have been enough

If He had led her path to Israel and America but not blessed her with marriage and 2 daughters,

דַּיֵּנוּ Dayenu, it would have been enough

Had He blessed her with marriage and 2 daughters, but not inspired her to continue the legacy of her Belzer Chasid family from Germany,

דַּיֵּנוּ Dayenu, it would have been enough

Had He inspired her to instill strong Jewish and Zionist feelings in me and my sister, but not forge my unexpected move to New York after college

דַּיֵּנוּ Dayenu, it would have been enough

Had He forged my move to New York after college, but not orchestrated that my sister meet her husband in front of Manhattan’s Lincoln Square synagogue on her rare visit for שמחת תורה,

דַּיֵּנוּ Dayenu, it would have been enough

Had He orchestrated my sister’s marriage to a great guy, but not blessed her with a beautiful, Torah-observant family,

דַּיֵּנוּ Dayenu, it would have been enough

Had He blessed my sister with a beautiful family, but not given me the strength to raise my own 2 daughters singlehandedly after a painful divorce, while harboring a passionate dream to move to ארץ ישראל,

דַּיֵּנוּ Dayenu, it would have been enough

Had He given me the strength to raise my 2 daughters in a religious, Torah-centered home, but not blessed me with the recent fulfillment of my עלייה (Aliyah) dream,

דַּיֵּנוּ Dayenu, it would have been enough

Had He blessed me with the fulfillment of my Aliyah dream, but not showered me with the שפע (abundance) of an amazing community of friends, a remote job, a comfortable Jerusalem apartment, both my kids soon to be living here, and קבלת שבת melodies wafting through my windows in summer from street corner מנינים (minyanim),

דַּיֵּנוּ Dayenu, it would have been enough

Had He blessed me with שפע that falls like מָן (manna), but not given me the courage to dive back into internet dating to find my true zivug,

דַּיֵּנוּ Dayenu, it would have been enough

Had He blessed me with the courage to find new love, but not performed a cosmic intervention so that even one Israeli would give this American woman a chance, even though she is still adjusting to Israeli culture and speaks Hebrew like a 2^nd grader,

דַּיֵּנוּ Dayenu, it would have been enough

Had He intervened in dating, but not allowed me to witness close up and be part of a country at war, a truly amazing country of people who cry together, worry together, stand together, inspire each other, and together with all of  עם ישראל, jump into action wherever is needed,

דַּיֵּנוּ Dayenu, it would have been enough

Had He allowed me to live in Israel during these very challenging last 6 months, but not given me the opportunity to know and learn from everyday heroes like Binyamin Airley זייל  and his mom, Jennifer, Elisha Lowenstern זייל and his wife Hadas, and Yehuda Becher זייל, and his father, Yitzhak and 6 siblings. They have so much to teach us about love, life, אמונה (faith), gratitude, dignity and dedication to עם ישראל,

דַּיֵּנוּ Dayenu, it would have been enough

If He had allowed me to learn from these heroes, but not granted me the זכות (merit) to spend my first Pesach living here,

דַּיֵּנוּ Dayenu, it would have been enough

Yes, He has granted me the beauty of the month of Nissan in Israel, a gluttonous treat for all my senses — the azure blue sky, soft breezes, and an unending variety of flowers — reminding me that the word Nissan is related to ניצן, meaning bud. And that in שיר האשירים (Song of Songs), שלמה המלך (King Solomon) symbolically refers to the redemption of our people as הַנִּצָּנִים֙ נִרְא֣וּ בָאָ֔רֶץ עֵ֥ת הַזָּמִ֖יר הִגִּ֑יעַ וְק֥וֹל הַתּ֖וֹר נִשְׁמַ֥ע בְּאַרְצֵֽנוּ (The blossoms have appeared in the land, the time of singing has arrived, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land.)

And so, to my Jewish brothers and sister all over the world on this פסח תשפ״ד  (Pesach 5784), let us pray and cry out together to Him for that ultimate redemption now. Hashem: We beseech you . . . No more war, no more terror, no more Jews trapped in captivity, no more sacrifice of our finest, no more hatred of our people,

דַּיֵּנוּ Dayenu!

לעילוי נשמת מלכה בת חנוך

לעילוי נשמת יהודה בן יצחק

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My Husband Died a Hero in Gaza – The Beautiful Life of Elisha Lowenstern (youtube.com)

Mother Of Fallen IDF Soldier’s Urgent Message To The World (youtube.com)