Q&A: Afikoman
Afikoman
Question
Hello Rabbi,
Is eating the afikoman before midnight obligatory, or just a commendable practice?
Answer
It is obligatory, though there is a dispute about this among the Tannaim and halakhic decisors.
Discussion on Answer
This is a dispute between Tosafot and Maimonides.
I had actually just opened the Shulchan Arukh, and it wrote that one should be careful, like Tosafot, to eat it before midnight. So the question is: can one follow Maimonides, say, or since I haven’t studied the topic in depth, should I be stringent like the Shulchan Arukh?
If you don’t have a position of your own, the practice is to follow the Shulchan Arukh. You can also make the condition suggested by the Avnei Nezer: https://www.kipa.co.il/%D7%99%D7%94%D7%93%D7%95%D7%AA/%D7%92%D7%9E%D7%A8%D7%90/%D7%90%D7%9B%D7%99%D7%9C%D7%AA-%D7%90%D7%A4%D7%99%D7%A7%D7%95%D7%9E%D7%9F-%D7%9C%D7%90%D7%97%D7%A8-%D7%97%D7%A6%D7%95%D7%AA/
In any case, if it is very difficult, you can follow Maimonides. This is a rabbinic law.
Thank you very much, Rabbi 🙏
According to Jewish law, whose view do we follow?