Haggadah:Yachatz/1

Yachatz

Introduction

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Unknown Origins

"Yachatz" (the breaking of the middle matzah before Maggid, the leaving of the larger of its pieces to be eaten as the Afikoman, and its attempted "theft"), is one of the most eagerly anticipated parts of the Seder, especially among many of its younger participants.  The origins of this custom, however, are far from clear.  In contrast to most of the other sections of the Seder which have ancient roots found already in the Mishna, there is no explicit reference to the institution of "Yachatz" in either Tannaitic or Amoraic literature.  Interestingly, Rambam's Mishneh Torah also betrays no awareness of the existence of such a custom.  What, then, is the source for the tradition, and what is the significance of the practice? 

The Way of the Poor

When discussing the nature and meaning of the phrase "לֶחֶם עֹנִי," the term used to describe matzah in Devarim 16, Bavli Pesachim writes:

EN/HEע/E

דבר אחר לחם עוני עני כתיב מה עני שדרכו בפרוסה אף כאן בפרוסה

 Alternatively, in the verse, “leḥem oni” is actually written without a vav, which means a poor person. Just as it is the manner of a poor person to eat a piece of bread, for lack of a whole loaf, so too, here he should use a piece of matza.

According to this explanation, using just a piece of a matzah, rather than a whole, symbolizes that it is "poor man's bread".  The gemara does not provide any practical application of this statement and never mandates that one is therefore required to breaks one's matzah before eating it.  Might this concept, nonetheless, serve as the basis for (or, at least, relate to) the custom of "Yachatz"?  However, if there is a connection, why is the matzah broken before reciting "Maggid", rather than right before fulfilling the mitzvah of matzah?

"Grabbing Matzah"

The Tosefta (and Bavli Pesachim) speak of a custom designed to keep the children awake:

ר״א אומר חוטפין מצה לתינוקות בשביל שלא יישנו ר׳ יהודה אומר משמו אפילו לא אכל אלא פרפרת אחת אפילו לא טבל אלא חזרת אחת חוטפין מצה לתנוקות בשביל שלא יישנו...

It is not clear what the practice of "חוטפין מצה" entails, how it was meant to arouse the children, nor when it was to take place.¹ As the root "חטף" means to "snatch," it would seem to relate to grabbing the matzah,² though the manner and motive of such grabbing is left unstated. In more modern times, this statement has been associated with the practice of "stealing the afikoman," at Yachatz.³  Is this, though, the original intent of the words? Did the initial custom (whatever it included) relate at all to the institution of Yachatz?

¹ The Bavli says, "בלילי פסחים," but does not specify during which section of the seder this should be done.  It connects it to a different practice of distributing nuts to the children, which is given a similar purpose: "to ensure that the children do not fall asleep and ask".  This, though, is done on Pesach eve.

² See RashbamPesachim 109aAbout R. Shemuel b. Meir and RambamHilkhot Chametz uMatzah 7:3About R. Moshe b. Maimon who appear to understand the word in this manner, but cf. RashiPesachim 109aAbout R. Shelomo Yitzchaki who understands it to refer to hasty eating or the raising of the seder plate.

³ The first to make the connection appears to be Rabbi Yaakov Reischer, in commentary on the Shulchan Arukh, Chok Yaakov 472:2.