At the Seder, before we begin to tell the story of the Exodus, we take the middle of the three matzahs that are stacked under the Seder plate and split it into two parts. We return the smaller half to its place between the other two matzahs, and we place the larger half in a bag, or wrap it in a cloth, and then set it aside. The matzah that is set aside is called the afikoman, and it is eaten for “dessert” after the Seder meal in commemoration of the paschal sacrifice.


haggadah Section: Yachatz