Bnai Yisrael complained nearly every step of the way from Mizrayim to Eretz Yisrael. There wasn’t enough water, they didn’t like the food, the journey was difficult, and the land promised to them by Hashem seemed impossible to conquer.
Their impatience and discontent were characteristic of those who have no experience with freedom, no sense of agency. Are we there, yet? I’m hungry! I want to go home! Like young children, Bnai Yisrael had to learn to trust in Hashem and know that everything always turns out for the best, a mindset that takes time, experience, and the ability to reflect on and learn from the past.
One of my favorite parts of the Pesach seder is the singing of Dayenu, our annual reminder that even when we don’t have everything we want in life, we truly do have all that we need.
As we sing each verse, we ask ourselves: would it have indeed been enough had Hashem split the Yam Suf and not brought us through to dry land? Would it have actually been enough if He had given us the Torah and not brought us to Eretz Yisrael? What would our lives have been like had Hashem just stopped there?
This thought experiment is an opportunity to challenge ourselves and reflect on our attitude toward life. Are we always pushing toward the perfect, never content with where we are? Or do we say gam zu l’tova; this moment in time while far from ideal is meant to teach me something. Hashem has put me in this situation for a reason and my job is to figure out how I am to grow through it.
One of the greatest gifts we can offer our children to set them up for a mentally healthy and successful life as adults is to inculcate in them the Dayenu approach to life. Thanking Hashem for all that we have serves as a buffer against disappointment, stress, and anxiety.
Baruch Hashem, we have so much to be grateful for, even during these very difficult times. We daven that our people are soon freed from captivity, and delivered safely back into the arms of their families.
Wishing you a wonderful Pesach! Chag kasher v’sameach! Besorot tovot! Shabbat shalom!