Reply To: Stealing the Afikomon

Just reviewing the halachos of stealing (the afikomon);

1. The kids that stole the afikomon matzah, they can’t be yotzeh with the matza they stole – it’s mitzva ha’ba b’averah

2. When they return matzah, they get the mitzva of v’hayshiv es hagzeilah asher gozal. But they should not steal “just” to get the mitzvah. That is like doing an aveirah justt so one can have the mitzva of teshuva.

3. A ganov is chayev kefel (double), so they need to really return twice the matza they stole.

4. If they made a major change in the matza, like if they constructed a building with the matza, they need not return the matza itself, just the value.

5. The value of the matza fluctuates (after pesach matza is worth less than before pessach), still, after pesach they can return the now discounted matza and say “haray shelcha l’fanecha”.