In every generation, each of us is obligated to see ourselves as if we personally left Egypt.

The story is not something that happened to other people a long time ago.

It happened to us. It is still happening — every time someone is oppressed, every time someone is freed, every time we choose to notice suffering rather than look away.

We raise our glasses for the second cup of wine — for freedom.

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ, אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הַגָּפֶן

Baruch Atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha-olam, borei p'ree hagafen.

Blessed are You, Lord our God, Ruler of the universe, who creates the fruit of the vine.

(Drink the second cup)

Dayenu. The word simply means: it would have been enough.

The song lists everything God did for the Israelites on the way from slavery to freedom — and after each gift, we stop and say: even just that, on its own, would have been enough.

If You had only heard us crying in Egypt - Dayenu

If You had only helped us leave slavery behind - Dayenu

If You had only watched over us in the night - Dayenu

If You had only made a path for us through the sea - Dayenu

If You had only led us safely through the desert - Dayenu

If You had only given us food when we were hungry - Dayenu

If You had only given us water when we were thirsty - Dayenu

If You had only brought us to Mount Sinai - Dayenu

If You had only given us teachings to help us live with kindness and wisdom - Dayenu

If You had only taught us to remember the stranger and care for others - Dayenu

But You gave us so many gifts:

freedom, food, water, hope, and love.

For every gift, we say thank You.

For every step, we say Dayenu.

Dayenu. Dayenu. Dayenu.

(Sing Dayeinu)

Refrain

Dai, dayenu, dai dayenu,

Dai dayenu, dayenu, dayenu, dayenu (repeat)

1. Ilu hotzi hotzianu

Hotzianu mimitzrayim,

Hotzianu mimitzrayim,

Dayenu Refrain

2. Ilu natan natan lanu

Natan lanu et hatorah

Natan lanu et hatorah

Dayenu Refrain

3. Ilu natan natan lanu,

Natan lanu et hashabbat,

Natan lanu et hashabbat,

Dayenu Refrain

All Jewish celebrations, from holidays to weddings, include wine as a symbol of our joy—not to mention a practical way to increase that joy. The seder starts with wine and then gives us three more opportunities to refill our cups and drink. 

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ, אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם
בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הַגָּפֶן:     

Baruch Atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha-olam, borei p’ree hagafen.

We praise you, Adonai, our God, Ruler of the universe, who creates the fruit of the vine.

We praise you, Adonai, our God, Ruler of the universe, who created a heritage that endures through the ages, ever changing and ever meaningful. We thank You for the many opportunities for holiness as we celebrate this joyous holiday of matzah together, remembering the liberation, the Exodus from Egypt. We praise you, God, who makes us holy in our celebration.

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ, אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם
שֶׁהֶחֱיָנוּ וְקִיְּמָנוּ וְהִגִּיעָנוּ לַזְּמַן הַזֶּה:

Baruch Atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha-olam, she-hechiyanu v’key’manu v’higiyanu lazman hazeh.

We praise you, Adonai, our God, Ruler of the universe, who has given us life, sustained us, and brought us to this joyous season.

Drink the first glass of wine!

In creating a holiday about the joy of freedom, we turn the story of bitter history into a sweet celebration. We recognize this by dipping our bitter herbs into the sweet charoset. As we taste the bitterness of the herb, we are grateful for the sweetness of our delicious charoset. 

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ, אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם
אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָֽׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתַָיו
וְצִוָּֽנוּ עַל אֲכִילַת מָרוֹר:    

Baruch Atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha-olam,
asher kid’shanu b’mitzvotav 
v’tzivanu al achilat maror.

We praise you, Adonai, our God, Ruler of the universe, 
who made us holy by commanding us to eat bitter herbs.

Telling Our Story

Our story starts in ancient times, with Abraham, the first person to have the idea that maybe all those little statues his contemporaries worshiped as gods were just statues. The idea of one God, invisible and all-powerful, inspired him to leave his family and begin a new people in Canaan, the land that would one day bear his grandson Jacob’s adopted name, Israel.

God had made a promise to Abraham that his family would become a great nation, but this promise came with a frightening vision of the troubles along the way: “Your descendants will dwell for a time in a land that is not their own, and they will be enslaved and afflicted for four hundred years; however, I will punish the nation that enslaved them, and afterwards they shall leave with great wealth."

Raise the glass of wine and say:

וְהִיא שֶׁעָמְדָה לַאֲבוֹתֵֽינוּ וְלָֽנוּ.

V’hi she-amda l’avoteinu v’lanu.

This promise has sustained our ancestors and us.

For not only one enemy has risen against us to annihilate us, but in every generation there are those who rise against us. But God saves us from those who seek to harm us.

The glass of wine is put down.

In the years our ancestors lived in Egypt, our numbers grew, and soon the family of Jacob became the People of Israel. Pharaoh and the leaders of Egypt grew alarmed by this great nation growing within their borders, so they enslaved us. We were forced to perform hard labor, perhaps even building pyramids. The Egyptians feared that even as slaves, the Israelites might grow strong and rebel. So Pharaoh decreed that Israelite baby boys should be drowned, to prevent the Israelites from overthrowing those who had enslaved them.

But God heard the cries of the Israelites. And God brought us out of Egypt with a strong hand and outstretched arm, with great awe, miraculous signs and wonders. God brought us out not by angel or messenger, but through God’s own intervention. 

Refill your wine glass.

We now say the blessing after the meal, thanking God for the food we have eaten. On Passover, we continue celebrating our joy of freedom by finishing this blessing with our third glass of wine:

We praise you, Adonai, our God, Ruler of the universe, whose goodness sustains the world. You are the origin of love and compassion, the source of sustenance for all. We praise God, source of sustenance for all. 

As it says in the Torah: When you have eaten and are satisfied, give praise to your God who has given you this good earth. We praise God for the earth and for its sustenance.

Renew our spirits in our time. We praise you, God, who centers us. May the source of peace grant peace to us, to the house of Israel, and to the entire world. Amen.