I am a strong believer in our Abba’s sprinkling clues throughout our lives that lead us to the path He wants for us. The challenge is that we more often than not don’t notice them. Part of our life’s journey is to become more aware of these moments, for the more that we do, the more centered we feel. We know that we are not in this alone. As we notice the hints we can sense the preciousness of our relationship with Him and His being with us each day.

Some of these experiences are sudden insights we didn’t previously have, for example, while reading Scripture or during prayer. Other times we are moved more deeply by an event or by nature and have a realization not previously understood. Some of these times involve timing synchronicities. A random person or place we encounter touches another and another in a chain of connectedness that just cannot be random. I love sharing with you these times in my life in many of these Shabbat encouragements. And I’m sure many of you have similar experiences. When we share them with each other it uplifts us all. So in case you don’t know, these weekly encouragements are also on Ruach Israel’s webpage www.ruachisrael.org . Click on “Shabbat and Holy Days” and “Inspirations by Diane”. Feel free to share away on that blog as we can mutually bless each other.

But back to HaShem’s clues:

The word “dayenu” (Hebrew:דַּיֵּנוּ). How many years have we said it at Passover? It is part of our DNA at this point! Yet this year I heard the word anew, perhaps a little Abba clue I’ve overlooked until now. Translated it can mean “it would have been sufficent” or “it would have sufficed”, the transliteration coming from “day”/”enough” and “enu”/”to us”. Jews for centuries have sung “Dayenu” based on the Haggadah recounting of the many blessings HaShem gave to his people.  The song dates back to over 1000 years ago, the earliest full text found in a medieval haggadah of the ninth century. It reminds us of His many gifts including the freeing of the Israelites from slavery, giving them manna in the desert, giving the Torah and Shabbat. The point is had our Abba only given one of these, it would have been sufficient, captured in song as “Dayenu” is joyfully shouted at the end of the recitation of each of the gifts.

Jews for a millenia have chanted “Dayenu” at Passover. Frankly it always feels like this song will never end! Verse after verse, Dayenu after Dayenu, as if the message is really, really, really meant to get through. Yes, our Abba has showered us with blessings and yes, we should never tire repeating our words of gratitude. Yet could there be another reason for such repetition of that one word, “Dayenu”? Perhaps this is a clue to a deeper meaning not yet understood by our mainstream Jewish brothers and sisters. . .

As you know, “dayenu” is prounced very similarly to “die-enu”. Clearly there are challenges in transliteration let alone in seeing English/Hebrew language crossover connections within a transliteration. And the clues may not follow our precise understandings and logic, but rather, serve to be suggestive of thoughts to us. That is part of their mystery. We are grateful for each of our Abba’s gifts, but could the greatest of all be giving His Son Yeshua to die for us?  Dayenu/die-enu. And what about the subtle “y” sound in the word? Maybe a hidden clue suggestive of Yeshua?

The transliteration of “dayenu”, if changed from “to us” to “for us”, would be slightly different, but for me, Dayenu.

Shabbat Shalom and Chag Pesach Sameach

Diane