Cc: Coram Deo

"in the presence of God"; a phrase from Christian theology which summarizes the idea of Christians living in the presence of, under the authority of, and to the honor and glory of God

Hh- Honor:

n.

1. High respect, as that shown for special merit; esteem: the honor shown to a Nobel laureate.

2.

a. Good name; reputation.

b. A source or cause of credit: was an honor to the profession.

3.

a. Glory or recognition; distinction.

b. A mark, token, or gesture of respect or distinction: the place of honor at the table.

c. A military decoration.

d. A title conferred for achievement.

4. High rank.

5. The dignity accorded to position: awed by the honor of his office.

6. Great privilege: I have the honor to present the governor.

7. Honor Used with His, Her, or Your as a title and form of address for certain officials, such as judges and mayors: Her Honor the Mayor.

8.

a. Principled uprightness of character; personal integrity.

b. A code of integrity, dignity, and pride, chiefly among men, that was maintained in some societies, as in feudal Europe, by force of arms.

c. A woman's chastity or reputation for chastity.

9. honors Social courtesies offered to guests: did the honors at tea.

10. honors

a. Special recognition for unusual academic achievement: graduated from college with honors.

b. A program of advanced study for exceptional students: planned to take honors in history.

11. Sports The right of being first at the tee in golf.

12. Games

a. Any of the four or five highest cards, especially the ace, king, queen, jack, and ten of the trump suit, in card games such as bridge or whist.

b. The points allotted to these cards. Often used in the plural.

tr.v. hon·ored, hon·or·ing, hon·ors

1.

a. To hold in respect; esteem.

b. To show respect for.

c. To bow to (another dancer) in square dancing: Honor your partner.

2. To confer distinction on: He has honored us with his presence.

3. To accept or pay as valid: honor a check; a store that honors all credit cards.

Idiom:

honor bound

Under an obligation enforced by the personal integrity of the one obliged: I was honor bound to admit that she had done the work.

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[Middle English, from Old French, from Latin.]

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honor·er n.

Synonyms: honor, homage, reverence, veneration, deference
These nouns denote admiration, respect, or esteem accorded to another as a right or as due. Honor is the most general term: The hero tried to be worthy of the honor in which he was held.
Homage is often in the form of a ceremonial tribute that conveys allegiance: "There is no country in which so absolute a homage is paid to wealth" (Ralph Waldo Emerson).
Reverence is a feeling of deep respect and devotion: "Kill reverence and you've killed the hero in man" (Ayn Rand).
Veneration is both the feeling and the reverential expression of respect, love, and awe: Her veneration for her mentor never wavered.
Deference is courteous, respectful regard for another that often implies yielding to him or her: The funeral was arranged with deference to the family of the deceased.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

The Three Musketeers by Dumas, Alexandre

"I have no seconds on my part, monsieur," said D'Artagnan; "for having only arrived yesterday in Paris, I as yet know no one but Monsieur de Treville, to whom I was recommended by my father, who has the honor to be, in some degree, one of his friends.

Dd: Dayyenu

Dayyenu

How can a Jew say, let alone sing, that "it would have been enough" even had we not received the Torah or Eretz Yisrael? Yet, every year at the Pesach seder this is the perplexing message we seemingly proclaim as we sing "Dayyenu!"

The answer is really quite simple. Within its context in the Haggadah, the refrain of "Dayyenu" has an implicit suffix - it does not mean 'it would have been enough;' rather, "Dayyenu" means 'it would have been enough to say Hallel for...' In this "piyut" which poetically summarizes the story of Yetziat Mitzrayim, we declare that each single act of God's kindness in that redemption process 'would have been enough' to obligate us to praise Him, i.e. to recite the Hallel.

In the Haggadah, we recite "Dayyenu" at the conclusion of magid, prior to mentioning "pesach, matzah and maror" (Rabban Gamliel omer...) and reciting of the Hallel. Mentioning these three mitzvot adjacent to the Hallel parallels the requirement to sing Hallel while eating the korban pesach during the time of the Temple. Thus, "Dayyenu" serves in the Haggadah as an introduction to the Hallel:

Had Hashem only taken us out of Egypt and not punished the Egyptians, that "would have been enough" to obligate us to say Hallel.
Had he split the sea for us but not given us the 'mahn,' this alone would have been sufficient reason to praise God.
And so on.

"Dayyenu" relates a total of fifteen acts of divine kindness, each act alone worthy of praise. Therefore, the Haggadah continues, "al achat kamah vekhamah," how much more so is it proper to thank God for performing all these acts of kindness. Thus, in the Haggadah, "Dayyenu" provides the proper perspective, and creates the appropriate atmosphere for the recitation of the Hallel.

When we recite the Hallel at the seder, we do so not only out of gratitude for Hashem's taking us out of Egypt, but also in appreciation of each stage of the redemptive process. As the "Dayyenu" emphasizes, we thank God not only for the exodus, but also for the 'mahn,' for shabbat, for coming close to Har Sinai, for the Torah, for the Land of Israel..., and finally for the building of the Bet HaMikdash.

Based on this understanding, the "Dayyenu" contains an underlying, profound hashkafah, a message very applicable to our own generation. Today, there are those who focus only on the first stanza of "Dayyenu," viewing freedom as the final goal, the ultimate redemption. For them, the first stanza of "Dayyenu" - the exodus - is "enough." Others focus only upon the last stanza, that without the realization of the idyllic goal of building the Mikdash, the entire redemptive process is meaningless. In their eyes, Hallel should be sung only when the redemption reaches its ultimate goal. "Dayyenu" disagrees - each stage of the process requires Hallel.

It is this hashkafic message, i.e., the understanding and appreciation of each step of the redemptive process, that "Dayyenu" teaches us. Ge'ulat Yisra'el - the redemption of Israel - is a process that is comprised of many stages. Every significant step in this process, even without the full attainment of the ultimate goal, requires our gratitude and praise to Hashem. In each stage of redemption, Am Yisra'el is required to recognize that stage and thank Hashem accordingly, while at the same time recognizing that many more stages remain yet unfulfilled. "Dayyenu" challenges us to find the proper balance.

[P.S. Save this shiur! You can 're-use' it for Yom Ha'Atzma'ut.]