One of the highlights of the Pesach Seder is when we sing “Dayeinu.” This is a section of the Hagadah where each line lists a different event that we, the Jewish people, experienced from the time we left Egypt until we entered the land of Israel and built the Beit HaMikdash (the Holy Temple). At the end of each stanza we say the word Dayeinu which means it would have been enough for us. Let’s take the first three lines for example.
!כַּמָה מַעֲלוֹת טוֹבוֹת לַמָּקוֹם עָלֵינוּ
How many degrees of good did the Almighty bestow upon us!
.אִלּוּ הוֹצִיאָנוּ מִמִצְרַיִם וְלֹא עָשָׂה בָהֶם שְׁפָטִים, דַּיֵּנוּ
If He had taken us out of Egypt and not made judgements on them it would have been enough for us.
.אִלּוּ עָשָׂה בָהֶם שְׁפָטִים, וְלֹא עָשָׂה בֵאלֹהֵיהֶם, דַּיֵּנוּ
If He had made judgments on them and had not made [them] on their gods; it would have been enough for us.
It sounds like we are saying that we could have done without many of these experiences. There are commentaries that explain that what this means is that each event is worthy enough in its own right to praise Hashem for without the other event.
Let’s now focus on the line that relates to this week’s parsha.
.אִלּוּ קֵרְבָנוּ לִפְנֵי הַר סִינַי, וְלא נַתַן לָנוּ אֶת־הַתּוֹרָה. דַּיֵּנוּ
If He had brought us close to Mount Sinai and had not given us the Torah it would have been enough for us.
This is very difficult to understand. What value is there in coming close to Mount Sinai without receiving the Torah? I heard the following answer from Rabbi Tzvi Levin, the principal of the Bais Yaakov of Boston. In this week’s parsha we read:
וַיִּסְעוּ מֵרְפִידִים וַיָּבֹאוּ מִדְבַּר סִינַי וַיַּחֲנוּ בַּמִּדְבָּר וַיִּחַן־שָׁם יִשְׂרָאֵל נֶגֶד הָהָר׃
Having journeyed from Rephidim, they entered the wilderness of Sinai and encamped in the wilderness. Israel encamped there in front of the mountain. (19:2)
Rashi comments on the words, “And there Israel camped,” that they did so as one man and with one mind. In their previous encampments there was a spirit of dissention. Now they were at peace and united with one another. The Midrash comments that once he Jewish people attained this level of unity they became worthy of receiving the Torah.
As the Jewish people stood at the foot of Mount Sinai readying themselves to receive the Torah they realized that what divides them is the pursuit of physical gratification in all its manifestations. They also realized with utter clarity that there is nothing in life that compares to the value of the Torah and its mitzvot. The causes for division are worthless. This brought them to the ultimate level of unity and they became worthy of receiving the Torah not only for themselves but for all generations. This unity was not a one-time experience. It united the souls of the Jewish people for eternity which gave us the potential to unite with one another in our practical lives. This is essential for our continuity as the nation of the Torah. Because if Hashem only blessed us with His Torah once we united, then our ability to continue receiving the blessing of His Torah is only through our unity.
The question we asked before was what is there to being brought close to Mount Sinai independent of receiving the Torah? The answer is that being brought close to Mount Sinai refers to the unity they attained as they awaited the giving of the Torah. This moment of ultimate oneness left an indelible imprint upon the soul of the Jewish people forever.
Thus, being brought close to Mount Sinai to experience the ultimate level of unity is enough for us to praise Him because that made us worthy of being the nation of the Torah for all generations.
Shabbat Shalom!
Yitzchak