You should explain to him the laws of Pesach, (until) “nothing should be eaten after the Pesach Afikomen.” Why does the Maggid choose to answer the wise child in this way? This statement, “nothing should be eaten after the Pesach Afikomen,” is taken from the end of the final chapter of Pesachim which includes the laws for the Seder. The Maggid instructs the father to teach his son all the passages in the Mishnah Pesachim relating to the Seder from the very beginning of the chapter until “nothing should be eaten after the afikomen.” This statement represents the fulfillment of Deuteronomy 6:24, “Then the Lord commanded us to observe all these statutes,” since the law of the afikomen is a statute. Commentators are troubled by the meaning of the expression, “Nothing should be eaten after the Afikomen.” This statement has two meanings, both of which are implied in the wording of the Mishnah - one relating to the time of the Temple and the other based on how we observe Passover today. Originally, one was not supposed to eat or drink anything after consuming the Pesach offering. Today we apply this same principle to the Afikomen, the final piece of Matzah which we eat at the end of the Seder. The expression in the Mishnah should be read, “Nothing should be consumed after the Pesach (in the time of the Temple) or after the Afikomen (nowadays when there is no temple.)” If we are not supposed to consume anything after the final piece of Matzah, why are we supposed to drink two cups of wine at the end of the Seder following the Afikomen? The Afikomen is a symbolic substitute for the Pesach. We try to make the laws of the Afikomen similar to the original Pesach offering but they are not really exactly the same. Wine is not considered to be an impediment to the Afikomen and we are allowed to drink it since they are part of the ceremonial aspect of the evening.