One thing to share from our seder this year. We were with my grandparents in Florida and Mommom (my grandmother) had a lot to say about gratitude.
After Dayeinu I said that obviously the point is just that we're grateful for every little step of the way - each gift we're given is a gift in its own right, besides being part of a larger picture. So when we say that "it would have been enough - dayeinu - if God had taken us across the Sea, even if God didn't give us manna to eat in the wilderness, on a literal level it's of course not true, because it wouldn't have been worth anything if we had just died in a few days on the other side; but on an emotional level, it should be true, because the gift of crossing the Sea safely should overwhelm us with gratitude in that very moment, despite whatever future challenges lie ahead.
My grandmother talked about how deeply that resonated with her experience. When they were on the train out of Germany in January of 1939, headed towards France and a boat towards a new life in Bolivia (followed by a new life in New York), when they crossed that German border into France, Mommom said that the train erupted in such applause and cheering and crying and laughing that it must have been audible for miles around. And no one gave a single thought to what would be next. It was enough to be out of Germany. And the same on the boat ride, with nothing in their pockets, seasick the whole time - nothing in front of them mattered; all that mattered was the salvation they were experiencing in that moment.
Then of course Mommom got mad at the Israelites for making the golden calf. Some gratitude! The shits they were! "Ve vas more grateful zen zem!" True that.
Later during Had Gadya, Mommom played both the cat and the fire, and worked very hard trying to remember which came when, and Poppop played a glorious shoychet, as always.
Happy hametz!
That's a really sweet story! Love it. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteYour grandmother lived the best explanation that I've heard. We sing dayeinu and it makes no sense, because we know how it ended. We got the Torah, Shabbos, Eretz Yisrael, the whole shebang. But bnei yisrael lived life forward, like your grandmother. Each step would have been enough. Simply being out of Germany was enough. Simply leaving Egypt was enough. Each further step was enough at that moment.
ReplyDeleteHad they known the ending of the story, and it didn't come true, then it might not have been enough. But you can't assume the happily ever after just because Prince Charming has kissed the enchanted girl.