by Rabbi Russ Resnik

Every year at the Passover seder, we sing Dayenu.

If he had taken us out of Egypt but had not punished the Egyptians, it would have been enough for us—Dayenu!

If he had punished the Egyptians but had not destroyed their gods, it would have been enough for us—Dayenu!

And on it goes through the entire story of redemption, declaring that each aspect of God's work, all by itself, would have been enough for us.

Dayenu should be our theme song amidst the temptations of modern American materialism, which says it's never enough. The merchandisers work hard at training us to always want more, expect more, and acquire more. After all, that's what makes the world—literally in this day of global economics—go ‘round. Dayenu restores some sanity by saying that if God had only done one great thing for us, it would have been enough and we'd appreciate that one thing for the rest of our lives.

Paradoxically, though, the counting of the Omer, which we've just concluded, and the festival of Shavuot say the opposite: Not Dayenu! Without Shavuot, Passover would be incomplete and not enough. Let's take a look at why this is, and why it's important for us today.

We'll start with a friendly controversy within the Messianic Jewish community. When do we begin the count of the Omer, on the second day of Passover, following Jewish tradition, or on Sunday, that is the first day of the week, during Passover? This disagreement is reflected in our UMJC prayer guide, which always includes the traditional date and the alternative date. It stems from differing interpretations of Leviticus 23:11—"The priest shall elevate the Omer before the Lord for acceptance on your behalf; the priest shall elevate it on the day after the Shabbat."

The text doesn't specify which Shabbat is intended here, or even what time of year. The context, however, is the week of Passover, and the first day of Passover is described in Leviticus 23:7-8 in terms that echo the description of the weekly Shabbat in Leviticus 23:3. Since Leviticus 23:11 refers to the Shabbat, and the weekly Shabbat normally lacks the definite article in the Hebrew, tradition argues that the Shabbat here is the Shabbat of the first day of Passover, whether or not it falls on the seventh day.

Complicated? Here's a simple summary from the Jewish Publication Society Torah Commentary:

The accepted rabbinic interpretation is that here [in Lev. 23:11 and 15] shabbat does not refer to the Sabbath day but means something similar to shabbaton in verse 39, that is, a time of resting. This characterization applies both to the Sabbath and to festivals.

The commentary goes on to note that ancient Jewish interpretations reflect the same understanding, so that the Septuagint (Greek translation of the Tanakh, predating Messiah) translates Leviticus 23:11 as "on the morrow of the first day (i. e., the first day of the festival)."

Rabbinic tradition also argues that all the other festivals have a specific calendar date, and it would not make sense for Shavuot to have a floating date, as it would if it is counted from the Sunday of Passover week. Shavuot celebrates the giving of Torah, which occurred on a specific calendar date, the 6^th of Sivan, according to the chronology in Exodus 19. Therefore, it should occur on that same day every year.

In addition to these interpretive points, there is the issue of maintaining solidarity with the wider Jewish community. In other words, many Messianic Jews see themselves as living within the Jewish community and its traditions, and would feel uncomfortable about celebrating such an important festival as Shavuot on a day different from the rest of the Jewish world.

But, of course, we are a diverse group and we honor differing viewpoints. Some Messianic Jews interpret "the Shabbat" in Leviticus 23:11 as meaning simply the Shabbat during the week of Passover. Accordingly, they begin the count on Sunday of Passover week (or actually after sundown on Saturday night). This practice strengthens the connection between counting the Omer and Messiah's resurrection on the first day of the week. And it is fitting to celebrate the outpouring of the Spirit seven weeks later on the first day of the week as well. It reminds us to put the resurrection of Messiah front and center.

It's worth noting that in either interpretation, if Yeshua was crucified on Friday, at the time of the offering of the Passover lambs, as recorded in John's Gospel, his resurrection would have taken place on the first day of the Omer, the offering of the firstfruits during Passover.

All of this brings us back to Dayenu. If Jewish tradition decrees that Shavuot falls on the same day, the sixth of Sivan, every year, why do we need to count the days at all? The answer is that we count the days to anticipate the giving of Torah, which completes the redemptive process launched at Passover. Passover is not dayenu without Shavuot, and counting the Omer is a process of spiritual anticipation and preparation rather than simply the calculation of a date.

Every year we make the statement along with the whole Jewish community that being delivered from the bondage of Egypt is not enough.  We are not complete without the revelation of Torah, which transforms Israel from a band of liberated slaves into a holy nation and a kingdom of priests. In the same way, when we count the Omer, we say that the crucifixion and resurrection of Messiah are not Dayenu without the outpouring of the Spirit fifty days later. The Spirit empowers us to follow Yeshua in living out the realities of crucifixion and resurrection

Years ago, when "Messianic Jew" was a more controversial term than it is today, people sometimes spoke of Jewish believers in Yeshua as "completed Jews." Once, after I spoke in a church service, someone asked me about that term. I said that I understood its meaning, but didn't really like it as a description of me or my fellow Messianic Jews, because I don't feel completed apart from the salvation of all Israel. Like Rav Shaul, I can't say Dayenu yet, for "my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved" (Rom. 10:1).

May our Messianic Jewish community continually yearn for the renewing presence of the Spirit among our people! And may the spiritual outpouring that we celebrate on Shavuot bring the crucifixion and resurrection of Messiah Yeshua back to center stage in the Jewish drama.

Hag Sameach—A Joyous Festival in Messiah!

Rabbi Russ Resnik This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Shavuot begins this year at sundown, Tuesday May 18, or an hour past sundown, Saturday May 22, by the alternative dating system.

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