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330 · Hilchot Leil Haseder II Tzurba M’Rabanan

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Other Rishonim, such as the Rashbam and Kol Bo, also agree with Rashi. By contrast, the Rosh and
Ramban (Milchemet Hashem on Pesachim 119b) hold that the obligation of matza refers to the first matza
eaten during motzee-matza, as if the afikoman were indeed the obligation, it should have been eaten with
maror and charoset. Therefore, they explain that the eating of the afikoman matza is just in commemoration
for the korban pesach.

r Rosh, Masechet Pesachim 10:34 דל:י םיחספ תכסמ | ש”אר . 30
According to this [the opinion of Rashi] it would seem that ךירצש הארנ היה )י”שר תטיש=( הז יפלו
one should also eat maror and charoset with it, since it is a רכז איהש ןויכ תסורחו רורמ המע לוכאל
remembrance of the matza that was eaten with the pesach in a םנמא …הכירכב חספה םע תלכאנה הצמ
sandwich… however [if so] I am astounded as to why we would קיפסי הליחתב הכירכ ןישוע המל ינהימת
make a sandwich at the beginning [of the meal], surely one at the הארנ ךכלה שדקמל רכז הנורחא הכירכב
end as a remembrance for the Temple should suffice? Therefore, אלא הבוח םשל הניא הצמ התואד יל
it seems to me that the matza [at the end] is not for the sake of
the obligation. Rather it is eaten as a remembrance for the korban לע לכאנ היהש חספל רכז התוא ןילכוא
pesach, which was eaten at the end of the meal when one was שי חספל רכז אוהש יפלו הנורחאב עבושה
sated. Since it is a remembrance for the korban pesach, it receives .הירחא לוכאל אלש חספה ןיד הל ןתיל
the laws of the pesach not to eat afterwards.

A third approach to the significance of the afikoman is offered by Tosafot and the Ritva (Hilchot Seder
Haggada). They hold that the Sages instituted the eating of the afikoman in order that the taste of matza
remain in our mouths as an expression of endearment of the mitzva, similar to the halacha concerning the
korban pesach.

r Tosafot, Masechet Pesachim 120a .כק םיחספ תכסמ | תופסות . 31
…It is good to eat it while sated and for the flavor of the matza to םעט תויהלו עבושה לע ולכואל בוטד…
remain in one’s mouth. But if he has enough matza for the entire הצמ היל תיא יא יאדו לבא ויפב הצמ
meal he should eat matza at the beginning of the meal with an הלחתב הצמ לוכאל ול בוט ותדועס לכל
appetite and recite the beracha over it. Afterwards, at the end of ותדועס רמגב כ”חאו הילע ךרבלו ןובאיתל
the meal one should eat [another] kezayit of matza and the taste ויפב הצמ םעט היהיו הצמ תיזכ לכאי
of the matza will remain in one’s mouth. But the primary mitzva is האב איהש הנושארה לע הוצמ רקיעו
[fulfilled] with the first one, which is eaten with an appetite, and
one will also have the taste of matza in his mouth at the end [of ויפב הצמ םעט ףוסבל אהי םגו ןובאיתל
the meal] with the last kezayit… …ןורחא תיזכ ותואב

To summarize, there are three opinions regarding the reason for eating the afikoman:
1. Eating this matza fulfills the obligation of “in the evening you shall eat matza” (Rashi; Rashbam)
2. The afikoman commemorates the korban pesach (Ramban; Rosh)
3. The afikoman is simply a means to retain the flavor of matza in one’s mouth (Tosafot; Ritva)

5. The Rambam’s opinion about this issue is unclear, as he states the following (Hilchot Chametz Umatza 8:9): “And then the meal continues, and he
eats whatever he wishes to eat and drinks whatever he wishes to drink, and at the end he eats at least a kezayit from the meat of the pesach and may
not taste anything afterwards. And nowadays he eats a kezayit of matza and does not taste anything afterwards, so that it should be the end of the
meal, and the taste of the meat of the pesach or the matza is in his mouth, as their consumption is the mitzva.” From the last phrase it appears that the
Rambam agrees with Rashi, as noted by the Aruch HaShulchan (477:2). However, this is not conclusive; see note below.

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