We keep the matzot for the Seder in a special matzah cover.  The song symbol for Yachatz (as Deborah shows us) is breaking something with two clenched fists.  We treat Yachatz as a responsive reading:

 

Reader

 

Bring forth the matzah from its hiding place!

 

The middle matzah is removed from the cover.

 

Company

 

Bring forth Israel from slavery!

 

Reader

 

Break one in two, leave two within the covering!

 

The middle matzah is broken into two unequally sized pieces.

 

Company

 

Celebrate the double portion of manna for Shabbat and festivals, the double portion of bread upon the Temple altar: two whole loaves, however divided the Jewish people may be!

 

Reader

 

Hide one piece of matzah, leave the other longing for its mate!

 

The smaller piece is replaced in the matzah cover.  The larger piece becomes the Afikoman.  Without comment, I wrap the Afikoman in my napkin and lay it on the side of the table.  At some point shortly afterward, Sandy will come by, pick up the Afikoman, and hide it.  Of course, I am now without a napkin for the rest of the Seder, but it’s a small price to pay.

We like to say a few words about the Afikoman here.  We tell our guests that the word “Afikoman” comes from the Greek language, but its meaning is not clear.  It is either the name for the entertainment at the end of the meal, or the meal’s last course.  At some Seders, we have used the following text:

 

“Wrapping matzah in the cover reminds us of our mothers and fathers on their way out of Mitzrayim, who wrapped up the dough before it had a chance to leaven and carried it with their kneading-troughs on their shoulders (Exodus 12:34).

It also reminds us that if you are poor, if you do not know where your next meal is coming from, you do not eat everything that is in front of you.  You hide a bit of food, a piece of bread, to make sure you won’t starve after this meal is over.  Yachatz reminds us that this is Chag Ha-Matzot, the festival of Poor People’s Bread.”

(Source – OWOF, page 20)

 

At others, we have incorporated this:

 

“We break the middle matzah, and put it aside to serve later as the Afikoman.  Why do we break the matzah now if we don’t need it until later?  …Because a key to freedom is to anticipate the future and make it real.  The definition of maturity is the ability to trade a lower pleasure now for a higher pleasure later.  Children lack this perspective and demand instant gratification.  The challenge of adulthood is training ourselves to look at the long-term consequences.  ‘Who is the wise man?’ asks the Talmud.  ‘The one who sees the future.’  We break the m idle matzah not for now, but for later.  Because true freedom is a long-term proposition.”

(Source – “Planning for the Future” by Rabbi Shraga Simmons at aish.com)

 


haggadah Section: Yachatz
Source: Original