(Leader points to Matzah)

Leader: These big crackers are Matzoh. They don't taste great but they taste memorable. When our enslaved ancestors were finally allowed to leave Egypt, they didn't wait around to bake bread. They walked across the desert, letting the sun bake dough on their backs. Tonight we'll eat matzoh to recall their determination, and to gird ourselves to take big steps when we can, even if we're not quite prepared. And now let's all say together:

Everyone: This is the bread of affliction which our ancestors ate in the land of Egypt.  Let all who are hungry come and eat; let all who are needy come and celebrate the Passover with us.  Now we are here; next year may we be in the Land of Israel. Now we are slaves; next year may we be free

Leader: I'll now break this particular matzoh in half and wrap it up, and this half is now the Akifomen. A moment ago it was an ordinary matzah, but now it's special.  It's going to be the last thing we eat tonight, the dessert after dessert. Let the anticipation of that moment stew in your head for an hour and see if it tastes like the satisfying culmination of a ritual. Tonight we'll reunite the two halves of the broken matzah, and tomorrow let's fix this broken world. But before that, at some point during dinner, I'm going to hide the Afikomen somewhere in the kitchen or living room, and whoever finds it will get a special treat. And of course I'll keep the other half here to verify that you're bringing back the actual Afikomen, so let's not eat it yet.


haggadah Section: Yachatz