DAYYENU
Theclause Dayyenu in this celebratory poem does not mean, “Itwould have been sufficient for us.”
Hadmany of the experiences which the poem refers not occurred, we would not havesurvived as Hashem’s Chosen Nation. Indeed, were it not for some of theseevents, we would not have survived at all!
Themeaning of Dayyenu, therefore, is, “It would have been sufficientin light of our merits.” In other words, the poemasserts that we were not deserving, i.e., that each event on ourjourney to freedom to which the poem refers was an unmerited act of gratuitousloving-kindness.
Theimplication here is that our victimization per se did not make usmeritorious. Hashem rescued us through a long series of acts which wereprecipitated by loving-kindness on His part rather than merit on our part.
Thismay explain why the recapitulation of the song immediately following Dayyenu culminatesin praising God for “building the Bais Hamikdash for us in order to provideatonement for all our sins.” [לכפר עלכל עוונותינו]Apparently, therefore, the majorfunction of the Dayyenu poem is to remind us that we were notworthy of redemption, and that today as well, we need כפרה עלכל עוונותינו - “atonement for all of our sins.”
Thevery term Pesach reinforces the concept that victimizationper se does not create merit. The term means either “passedover” or “showed compassion towards” the Israelites’ houses.* In either case,the term implies that when the power of harsh judgement was smiting theEgyptian first-born, the Israelite first-born may have been vulnerable as well.We may have had merits, but in order to survive that plague and be redeemed, wealso needed God’s compassion. **
*[citesources in Rashi]
**Seealso Yechezkel chapter 20, verses 5ff.