surrounding blessings. Twice a day in the blessing following Sh’ ma, acknowledging the Divine redemption of our ancestors from slavery in Egypt, from which we refer to our God as Redeemer of Israel … Dayenu!
If that were not enough, in the yearly cycle of our reading the Torah, the Five Books of Moses, we find our experience of slavery in Egypt cited 36( and some say 46) times as the impetus for and obligation to lifting up those who are oppressed— by slavery, poverty, and noncitizenship … Dayenu!
This is dayenu, enough--for us to automatically step forward to protect and raise up the immigrant residing among us, to resist efforts to imprison, abuse, and deport the vulnerable among us. We are commanded to do so— it’ s a mitzvah--and through the brilliance of our sages, that lesson sinks in every day of the year. May we continue to step up to the task.
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