 | |
| Type | Dessert |
|---|---|
Afikoman (Mishnaic Hebrew: אֲפִיקִימוֹןʾăpîqîmôn;[1] Modern pronunciation: אֲפִיקוֹמָןʾăpîqômān) based onGreekepikomon [ἐπὶ κῶμον] orepikomion [ἐπικώμιον], meaning "that which comes after" or "dessert"),[2] a word originally having the connotation of "refreshments eaten after the meal",[3] is now almost strictly associated with the half-piece ofmatzo which is broken in two during the early stages of thePassover Seder and set aside to be eaten as a dessert after the meal.[4]
Based on theMishnah inPesahim 119b, theafikoman is a substitute for thePassover sacrifice, which was the last thing eaten at the Passover meal during the eras of theFirst and Second Temples and during the period of theTabernacle. TheTalmud states that it is forbidden to have any other food after theafikoman, so that the taste of thematzo that was eaten after the meal remains in the participants' mouths.[5] Since the destruction of the Temple and the discontinuation of theKorban Pesach, Jews eat a piece ofmatzo now known asafikomen to finish the Passover Seder meal.[4]
Customs around theafikoman vary, though they often share the common purpose of keeping children awake and alert during the Seder until theafikoman is eaten. FollowingAshkenazi customs, the head of household may hide theafikoman for the children to find, or alternatively, the children may steal theafikoman and ransom it back.Chabad tradition discourages stealing theafikoman lest it lead to bad habits.FollowingMizrahi customs, theafikoman may be tied in a sling to a child's back for the duration of the Seder.[6]
Mishnaic Hebrew: אֲפִיקִימוֹן.[1] The Greek word on whichafikoman is based has two meanings, according to theBabylonian Talmud and theJerusalem Talmud. Both Talmuds agree on thehalakha (stated in the Passover Haggadah under the answer given to the Wise Son) that no other food should be eaten for the rest of the night after theafikoman is consumed. The Babylonian Talmud explains that the word"afikoman" derives from theGreek word for "dessert", the last thing eaten at a meal. The Jerusalem Talmud, however[citation needed], derives the wordafikoman fromepikomion, meaning "after-dinner revelry" or "entertainment". It was the custom ofRomans andGreeks to move from one party or banquet to another. Thehalakha prohibiting anything else being eaten after theafikoman therefore enjoins Jews to distinguish their Passover Seder from the pagan rituals of other nations.
Theafikoman is prepared during the fourth part of the Seder,Yachatz. During this ritual, the leader of the Seder takes the middle piece of matzo out from the stack of three whole matzot on the Seder table. They break the matzo in two, returning the smaller piece to the stack and putting aside the larger piece to be eaten later duringTzafun ("Hidden", the twelfth part of the Seder, which immediately follows the main meal). This is theafikoman, which is wrapped in a napkin before being hidden.
The custom of hiding theafikoman so that the children at the Seder will "steal" it and demand a reward for it is based on the following Gemara: Rabbi Eliezer says that one should "grab the matzos" so that the children won't fall asleep.[7]
TheHaggadahOtzar Divrei HaMeforshim cites several other reasons for the custom of stealing theafikoman. According to the author of the workMekor Chaim – Chavos Yair, this custom demonstrates love for themitzvah ofafikoman.[8] RabbiMenashe Klein, theUngvarRebbe, says that this custom is a re-enactment of the biblical account ofJacob stealing the blessings that were supposed to go to his brotherEsau.Midrash Pliah says thatIsaac told Esau, "Your brother came with trickery" (Genesis 27:35), adding, "and he took out theafikoman." According to theMidrash, this account took place onPassover. Therefore, the children steal theafikoman to get the blessings, which are the present that they ask their fathers to buy for them.
After the meal and customary desserts, the leader of the Seder distributes pieces of theafikoman to each guest. If there is not enough to go around, additional pieces of matzo may be added to each person's portion ofafikoman.[9]
Jewish law prescribes that an olive-sized piece of matzo be eaten to fulfill the mitzvah of eating theafikoman. Many people eat an additional, olive-sized piece of matzo together with it. The first piece of matzo commemorates theKorban Pesach (Paschal lamb), whose meat was eaten at the very end of the festive Seder meal in the days that the Temple stood. The second piece commemorates the matzo that was eaten together with the meat of the Paschal Lamb in the days of the Temple, in fulfillment of the Torah commandment, "They shall eat [the Passover lamb] together with matzo andmaror" (Exodus 12:8).[9] Like the eating of the matzo earlier in the Seder, theafikoman is eaten while reclining to the left (in someOrthodox Jewish circles, women and girls do not lean).[4]
According to Jewish law, theafikoman must be consumed before midnight, just as theKorban Pesach was eaten before midnight during the days of the Temple in Jerusalem.[10] Thus, if the Seder is running late with much singing and discussion of the themes of theExodus fromEgypt, families may have to shorten the meal segment of the Seder and proceed quickly to theafikoman.
After the eating of theafikoman, no other food may be eaten for the rest of the night, other than the last two cups of wine at the Seder and coffee, tea, or water.[9]
