Our Gemara on amud aleph discusses various scenarios and liabilities incurred where a hired porter or wagon breaks down mid trip.  Even if the wares did not reach the desired and contracted destination, if at the current location they can be sold too, albeit inconveniently, or if after a day he can hire another transport for the remainder of the journey, the person must still pay the fare for the trip up to this point.  The claim of the wagoneer is: “Had you wanted to come to here, i.e., halfway through the journey, wouldn’t you have had to pay a fee? Therefore, pay me for the distance that my donkey carried you.”

 

I was reflecting on this idea about getting half way toward the goals we set.  Especially in relationships we might have resentment that one aspect or another of our spouse’s limitations held us back.  While this might be true, or not (don’t be so quick to blame your failures on others), the feeling itself is a common occurrence.  Yet, the spouse (and God) might argue the same: “I got you this far, and that’s something.”  A person has all kinds of plans and goals, and may indeed reach them, or not.  Sometimes we wanted to go to a certain place, but in the end where we landed was just fine. The halfway point might just have been the destination all along, or maybe we keep traveling. Regardless, we appreciate the help we received to get thus far on our journey.

 

This is the sentiment of the Dayeinu liturgy in the Haggadah, and I am quoting a few stanzas below:

 

Had He brought us out of Egypt

without bringing judgment upon

[our oppressors],

that would have been enough for us. 

 

Had He given us their wealth

without splitting the sea for us,

that would have been enough for us. 

. 

Had He drawn us close around Mount Sinai

without giving us the Torah,

that would have been enough for us. 

 

There are all kinds of vertlach about what value there would be in getting free from Egypt but still being annihilated at the Red Sea, or what is there to be thankful for, if we made it to Mount Sinai but sat around waiting for the revelation to happen, and it never did.  Perhaps the simple answer is what we have been discussing: “I got you this far, didn’t I?”  Imagine the Jews emerging victorious from Egypt, with the taste of freedom (and Matzah, Pesach and Bitter herbs) in their mouths, and then along come the Egyptians and, God forbid, the Jews die valiantly in battle by the Red Sea.  That would be tragic, but they still would die triumphantly as free men, facing down their oppressors, eye to eye.