Question: Should you hang a piece of your afikoman on the door?
Short Answer: There is minhag to hang a piece of the afikoman on your door for protection. Some challenge the minhag, but it is accepted by most poskim.
Explanation:
I. The Source
The Gemara (P’sachim 111b) writes that one who “hangs” bread will become poor. Rashbam and Rashi (ibid) interpret this to refer to hanging bread in its basket from a place where it is suspended in the air. This halachah is cited in the Shulchan Aruch HaRav (Sh’miras Guf, 9).
As we will see below, the Acharonim debate whether the reason for this stringency is because of bizayon (it is degrading) to the bread or because it is simply a s’gulah, which does not necessarily make “sense.”
II. Hanging Leftover Bread
The Tur and the Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chayim 431:1) write that a person should “hang” the leftover chametz after b’dikas chametz so that a weasel does not spread this chametz throughout your house and thereby require a new b’dikah.
The sefer Eitz HaSadeh (Rav Yitzchak Stasman, 30:4) cites the Chaim L’Rosh (Rav Chaim Palacci) who asked how we can hang the bread based on the Gemara in P’sachim. He answers that it is permitted to hang the bread in the basket when it is for a mitzvah purpose, i.e., to avoid chametz on Pesach. The sefer Eitz HaSadeh himself suggests that it is permitted here because the bread is not being hung in a “derech bizayon.” The sefer Dor HaM’laktim (Isur V’Heter 4, p. 356) cites Rav Chaim Kanievsky zt”l, who answered that chametz on Pesach is no longer bread (and thus the prohibition does not apply to this bread).
III. Hanging the Afikoman
The Shalah HaKadosh (Kitzur HaShalah, p. 67) writes that some have the minhag to hang a piece of the afikoman on the wall and leave it there the entire year. The Shalah vehemently rejects this minhag, which he says is “not found in any sefer,” because it is degrading to the matzah and causes poverty (per our Gemara in P’sachim above). He suggests that if you want to “fulfill this minhag,” you should put a piece of the afikoman in your pocket or in a hidden place in your house. This will protect you from thieves and evil spirits, as the targum for “arguments” (“merivah”) is “matzasa.”
However, the Magen Avraham (Orach Chayim 500:7) discusses the isur melachah aspect of making holes in food on Shabbos or Yom Tov. He notes that it is permitted (from an isur melachah perspective) to make a hole in the afikoman to hang it. Clearly, the Magen Avraham did not find any problem with this minhag of hanging the afikoman, unlike the Shalah. See also the P’ri M’gadim (M”Z 477:1) where he cites this Magen Avraham approvingly. The Mishnah B’rurah (500:15) likewise codifies the Magen Avraham.
Moreover, many Acharonim expressly disagree with the Shalah. For example, the Ba’eir Heiteiv (Orach Chayim 477) cites the minhag to hang the afikoman. Similarly, the Shaarei Teshuvah (Orach Chayim 477:4) cites the Sh’vus Yaakov (Rav Yaakov Reischer, d. 1733) who notes that he is unsure of the reason for the custom, but expressly argues with the Shalah as to it being forbidden. He holds that it is not degrading to the matzah and explains that his father and grandfather performed this minhag.
The sefer Etz HaSadeh (ibid) explains why these Acharonim are likely lenient. Since the hanging is not “derech bizayon,” it is permitted. Also, he cites Rav Chaim Kanievsky, who explained that we allow the hanging here because the afikoman is not in a basket. As clear from Rashi and the Rashbam, the whole prohibition is only where the bread is hung in its basket. Similarly, the Eitz HaSadeh suggests that the prohibition only applies where the bread is hung in the air (per the language of Rashi and Rashbam), and thus hanging the afikoman on the door or wall should be permitted. See also Halichos Shlomo (Pesach, Perek 9, n. 359).
IV. Leaving It Over?
The Ateres Paz (Yoreh Dei’ah 1:2, p. 122) questions how this minhag developed, as there is a prohibition that you may not leave over the Korban Pesach until morning. Indeed, this is why we eat the afikoman, which according to many is reminiscent of the Korban Pesach, by chatzos. He answers that only certain laws affecting the actual eating of the Korban Pesach are applicable to afikoman, but not external halachos like leaving it over. See also Mishnas Sachir (2:122).
V. Connection to Mezuzah
The sefer L’horos Nasan (Moadim, p. 384) cites a beautiful idea from the Haggadah B’eir Miriam. The Zohar states that matzah protects in the same manner as mezuzah protects from evil spirits. Accordingly, we hang the afikoman just like we hang the mezuzah. This explains why B’nei Yisrael took leftover matzah with them when they left Mitzrayim (“mish’arosam tzeruros b’simlosam”) – even though the mitzvah to eat matzah was finished. They wanted to retain the power of protection that the matzah created.
Rabbi Ephraim Glatt, Esq. is the Associate Rabbi at the Young Israel of Kew Gardens Hills, and he is a Partner at McGrail & Bensinger LLP, specializing in commercial litigation. Questions? Comments? Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
