We're going to discuss a little bit about the Afikoman that we eat at the Seder. So we all know that at the last—basically the last thing we do before we bench—we do the Afikoman. It says in the Alter Rebbe's Haggadah that you take the Afikoman and you distribute it to all the family members, and it says to each one a kezayit. However, in the Shulchan Aruch it's brought down that it's best to eat two kezayitim. One would be as a commemorative to the Korban Pesach—that's one reason—and the other kezayit would be as a remembrance to the matzah which is eaten with the Korban Pesach, because that is supposed to be eaten al hasova. In addition to the regular mitzvah of matzah, you want to eat the matzah al hasova when you're satisfied, and that is together with the Korban Pesach.

And as the Rebbe explains over here in Shulchan Menachem, because of these two opinions—what the kezayit of matzah, the size of the matzah, represents—in order to accomplish both, we're going to eat two kezayitim. So we'll have one for this opinion and one for that opinion. That's the way we're going to fulfill both opinions. But what happens, the Rebbe says, we can say, if it's difficult for him to eat both of these kezayitim, so perhaps one can make a condition that he's eating it according to whichever ruling it is. If it's for the Korban Pesach, then let it be for the Korban Pesach; if it's for the matzah with the Korban Pesach, then for the matzah. Then he'll only eat one.

Although they bring down in the footnote over here that in the Shulchan Aruch it seems like the main view is like the first opinion, and that one should really keep in mind that he is doing it as a remembrance for the Korban Pesach. Another point about here is that it says in the Haggadah that a person should be careful not to drink after the Afikoman, and the reason is that you don't want to take away the taste of the Afikoman—you want it to last in your mouth.

So the Rebbe asks several questions which seem to be difficult. Number one, how come the Alter Rebbe only writes not to drink? Why doesn't he say not to eat after the Afikoman? We know it's more serious to eat after the Afikoman; drinking is not so stringent after the Afikoman, so why does he say that? Number two, why does the Alter Rebbe say "be careful" not to drink? He should say it's prohibited to drink or one shouldn't drink after the Afikoman. What's the meaning of "yizaher shelo yishte"—be careful not to drink? And number three, this warning should have been written after the laws of the Afikoman—that once you finish the Afikoman it should say, "don't drink, don't eat," whatever he needs to say over there. Why is he saying it before eating the Afikoman?

So the Rebbe therefore learns like this: that what it means, "yizaher shelo yishte"—be careful—we're telling you now to make sure to drink enough so that you're not going to be thirsty. So the warning is right now: drink enough so you'll be sure that you're not going to be thirsty after the Afikoman. And therefore we understand all the above questions. The Alter Rebbe didn't have to say, "be careful, eat now so you won't be hungry," because to begin with, the Afikoman is eaten once you're satisfied—that's the way Afikoman is eaten—so nobody's hungry after the Afikoman. So you don't have to be told to be careful to eat enough.

Number two, the Alter Rebbe isn't coming to teach you the laws of the prohibition of eating and drinking after the Afikoman; those are laws that the Shulchan Aruch is for. Rather, he's trying to tell you the customs for the Seder—that you should drink so you won't be thirsty afterward. And therefore it's understood: when do we tell you this warning? The last time to warn you about this is right next to the Afikoman and right before it. That's why before "V'Yachel" he says to you: be careful, make sure to drink enough now, and therefore you won't be thirsty afterward.

And the Rebbe brings it out in other words: if you're not going to put in the effort so that you won't be thirsty, and you're going to want to drink later, then eventually they would allow you to rely on certain opinions and permit drinking. Because if a person is thirsty, some authorities allow it, and they would allow you. So he warns you to drink now beforehand. But he doesn't tell you to eat now, because nobody says that you can eat after the Afikoman.

Summary – The Rebbe in Shulchan Menachem explains that eating two kezayitim fulfills both views of the Afikoman, while the Alter Rebbe’s instruction to “be careful not to drink” is a proactive directive: drink beforehand so the taste of the Afikoman remains, preserving its full significance.