Dayeinu of Our Biblical Mothers and Sisters

As we recounted the pains and sorrows that still surround us, we are also aware of our many blessings. Many gifts have been bestowed upon us. With the singing of Dayeinu we recall God’s graciousness and protection along our people’s path.

Ilu hotzi’anu mi’mitzrayimLit. Egypt. Because the Hebrew word for narrow is tzar, Mitzrayim is also understood as "narrowness," as in, the narrow and confining places in life from which one emerges physically and spiritually. dayeinu

Ilu natan lanu et ha’ShabbatShabbat is the Sabbath day, the Day of Rest, and is observed from Friday night through Saturday night. Is set aside from the rest of the week both in honor of the fact that God rested on the seventh day after creating the world. On Shabbat, many Jews observe prohibitions from various activities designated as work. Shabbat is traditionally observed with festive meals, wine, challah, prayers, the reading and studying of Torah, conjugal relations, family time, and time with friends.

Ilu natan natan lanu natan lanu et ha’torahThe Five Books of Moses, and the foundation of all of Jewish life and lore. The Torah is considered the heart and soul of the Jewish people, and study of the Torah is a high mitzvah. The Torah itself a scroll that is hand lettered on parchment, elaborately dressed and decorated, and stored in a decorative ark. It is chanted aloud on Mondays, Thursdays, and Shabbat, according to a yearly cycle. Sometimes "Torah" is used as a colloquial term for Jewish learning and narrative in general.

The Holy One has sustained us over the centuries. Tonight we also acknowledge the sustenance and strength we draw from the actions of our biblical mothers and sisters.

The first man and woman were created together in God’s image.
Dayeinu: That would have been enough.

Then LilithIn the midrash (rabbinic story about the Torah story), Lilith is imagined as Adam's first wife. Because she wanted equality, she wss ultimately banished, and God provided Adam with a more obedient wife. Lilith, according to tradition, lives on as a kind of demon, causing men to have wet dreams and stealing infant boys from their cribs. Today, Lilith has been reclaimed by Jewish feminists as a symbol of women's equality. rebelled against Adam’s claim to authority. 
Dayeinu: And that would have been enough.

Then EveEve, according to the book of Genesis, is Adam's wife, the first woman to be created. perceived that wisdom was a desirable possession.
Dayeinu: And that would have been enough.

Then SarahThe first matriarch, wife of Abraham, and mother of Isaac, whom she birthed at the age of 90. Sarah, in Rabbinic tradition, is considered holy, beautiful, and hospitable. Many prayers, particularly the Amidah (the central silent prayer), refer to God as Magen Avraham – protector of Abraham. Many Jews now add: pokehd or ezrat Sarah – guardian or helper of Sarah. walked side-by-side with AbrahamAbraham is the first patriarch and the father of the Jewish people. He is the husband of Sarah and the father of Isaac and Ishmael. God's covenant - that we will be a great people and inherit the land of Israel - begins with Abraham and is marked by his circumcision, the first in Jewish history. His Hebrew name is Avraham. to the land of Canaan.
Dayeinu: And that would have been enough.

Then Sarah insisted that IsaacAbraham and Sarah's much-longed-for son and the second Jewish patriarch. Isaac is nearly sacrificed by his father at God's command (Genesis 22). He is married to Rebecca and is the father of Esau and Jacob. His Hebrew name is Yitzchak. be the son to carry on the covenant between the Holy One and Abraham.
Dayeinu: That would have been enough.

Then RebeccaThe second Jewish matriarch, Isaac's wife, and mother to Jacob and Esau. Rebecca is an active parent, talking to God when she is pregnant and learning the fate of her children, then ultimately manipulating Isaac and the children to ensure Jacob's ascendancy. Her Hebrew name is Rivka. showed the generosity of spirit by watering the camels of a stranger. Dayeinu: And that would have been enough.

Then Rebecca intervened to insure Jacob’s proper ascendancy as the keeper of the covenant.
Dayeinu: And that would have been enough.

Then RachelLavan's younger daughter and Jacob's beloved wife second wife (after he is initially tricked into marrying her older sister, Leah). Rachel grieves throughout her life that she is barren while Leah is so fertile. Ultimately, Rachel gives birth to Joseph and dies in childbirth with Benjamin. Rachel is remembered as compassionate (she is said to still weep for her children), and infertile women often invoke Rachel as a kind of intercessor and visit her tomb on the road to Bethlehem. had pity on her sister LeahThe third of the Jewish matriarchs, Lead is the eldest of Lavan's daughters and one of the wives of Jacob. She is the daughter whom Lavan tricks Jacob into marrying instead of his younger daughter Rachel, whom Jacob has requested to marry. Leah is mother to six of the the twelve tribes and to one daughter, Dinah. and taught her the secrets that would getA writ of divorce. Traditionally, only a man can grant his wife a get. Liberal Jews have amended this tradition, making divorce more egalitarian. her through her wedding night.
Dayeinu: And that would have been enough.

Then DinahDina is Jacob's only daughter and the sister of the twelve tribes. attempted to reach out to the women beyond her own clan.
Dayeinu: And that would have been enough.

Then Tamar insisted on her rights as a widow.
Dayeinu: And that would have been enough.

Then the midwives, ShifraShifra is one of the two Hebrew midwives mentioned in Exodus 1 who refuses Pharaoh's orders to kill the boy children, instead enabling them to live. She, along with her partner Puah, is instrumental in beginning the process leading to the Exodus. Shifra is often identified as Jochebed, Moses' mother. and PuahPuah, like Shifra, is one of the Hebrew midwives mentioned in Exodus 1 who defies Pharaoh's orders to kill the boy babies. This first act of defiance was instrumental in leading to the Israelite exodus from Egypt. Puah is often identified in the midrash with Miriam, Moses' older sister. stood up to Pharaoh by saving the Hebrew babies. 
Dayeinu: And that would have been enough.

Then Moses’ mother had the courage to remarry her husband and bear children again. 
Dayeinu: And that would have been enough.

Then MiriamMiriam is the sister of Moses and Aaron. As Moses' and Aaron's sister she, according to midrash, prophesies Moses' role and helps secure it by watching over the young baby, seeing to it that Pharaoh's daughter takes him and that the baby is returned to his mother for nursing. During the Israelites' trek through the desert, a magical well given on her behalf travels with the Israelites, providing water, healing, and sustenance. kept watch over her little brother.
Dayeinu: And that would have been enough.

Then Pharaoh’s daughter took pity on the little Hebrew baby.
Dayeinu: And that would have been enough.

Then Miriam worked behind the scenes to prepare the women for leaving Egypt.
Dayeinu: And that would have been enough.

Then Miriam brought her tambourine across the Sea of Reeds.
Dayeinu: And that would have been enough.

And Miriam continued to teach God’s words which flowed like water from her mouth.
Dayeinu: And that would have been enough.