Secret of the Afikoman

An explanation of the symbolism of the Afikoman.

Lust

Lust!

The driving force behind the Egyptian Empire was a lust for physical pleasure. The Tanach on a number of occasions links the Egyptians with donkeys. The Hebrew word for donkey is חמור (Chamor) which is closely related to the word חומר (Chomer) which means raw physicality. This is the symbol of the spirit of Egypt.

When the Jewish Nation left Egypt they took with them all of the riches of the Egyptian Empire. While this is to be understood on the pshat level as referring to the gold and silver, it also means that they took the spiritual power of Egypt as well. This is why the Medrash teaches us that every Jews left Egypt with countless donkeys loaded with riches. The donkeys symbolize the spiritual power of Egypt.

But when the Jewish Nation took the power of lust they did not leave it in its raw physical form. Instead they directed it towards lust for things that are holy. The trait of lust is one that can take on a positive or a negative form. For the Egyptians it was negative, but for the Jewish Nation it was directed in a positive way.

By contrast, when it comes to the nation of Amalek there is nothing good to take from them; they are doomed to utter destruction. That is because their trait is one of anger and destruction. These are traits which have no counterpart on the side of good and must ultimately be gotten rid of entirely.

Stuck in the Mud

Ever feel so stuck in self-destructive behavior that you don't believe there is any way out? Do you feel that you have tried everything possible and nothing has worked and nothing will work?

The Torah instructs us to remember the Exodus from Egypt every single day of the year, not just on Pesach. Why is that?

We need to remember the the Jewish Nation was not just enslaved in a physical slavery in Egypt. They were also spiritually enslaved. They had become a race of people so involved in perverse behavior that our Sages teach us they had reached the depths of depravity. There are 50 levels of impurity to which a person can stoop; they were on level #49. Despite all that, God got them out. He took them out and 50 days later they stood at Mt. Sinai.

We need to remember this lesson every day of our lives. When we take an honest look in the mirror at ourselves and feel like giving up on any true self improvement. When we feel completely disgusted and ready to throw in the towel. When we feel like succumbing to the urges of depraved behavior since we cannot seem to get any better. In any of these situation we need to recall the seemingly hopeless state of the Jewish Nation in Egypt. God rescued them, He can rescue you as well.

Freedom of Expression

Even Moshe could not speak freely. "I am not a man of words," he told God. The servitude in Egypt created a race of people who lacked the ability to express their thoughts and feelings.

The gift of freedom give at Pesach is the gift of the ability to truly express yourself. This is why Kabbalists teach us that פסח (Pesach) can be understood as פה סח, the mouth speaks. It is the holiday that enables us with the freedom to be truly and freely expressive. For this reason we are taught in the Hagaddah that one who increases his discussion of the story of the Exodus is praiseworthy. This is encouragement in the Hagaddah to find a place to ad lib your own expression of what freedom means to yourself. Not to be satisfied with the expressions placed before you in the Hagaddah but to take the time to connect with your inner feelings about freedom and Pesach and to take the opportunity to express them.