Two afikomans?

The Flatbush Jewish Journal brings the following, from “Rav Pam on the Festivals” by Artscroll.

More than any other period of the year, pesach is a time when Jews take upon themselves many stringencies above and beyond what is required by Halacha. An example of this is eating the afikoman before chatzos, which is disputed by R’ Akiva who holds it can be eaten until daybreak.

When a large family sits down by the seder, it is often very difficult to reach afikoman before chatzos. The mitzva of the night is v’higadeta l’bincha and children have been waiting anxiously for this night. Many come to the Seder with notebooks filled with vertlach. The rabbeim and morahs have spent weeks preparing them for this night.

Often, with a wary eye on the clock, parents tell children to save their divrei torah for “another time”. And often in the haste to eat afikomen before midnight, excessive pressure is placed on the women (who have over exerted themselves for weeks or months in cleaning and preparing for Pesach) to serve the meal as quickly as possible. Is this fair?

The Avnei Nezer adviser that if it is getting close to midnight, one should take a kezayis of matzo and make the following stipulation: If the halacha is like R’ Elazar ben Azarya, the prohibition against eating done after afikomen is only as long as the mitzva of afikomen is in effect – midnight. Thus this piece of matzo should be considered afikomen. If the halacha is not like him then it should not be afikomen. Eat the matzo, then wait until chatzos passes before resuming eating.

After the meal eat a second afikomen to fulfill the opinion of R’ Akiva who permits korban pesach/afikomen until dawn.

In this way, serenity at the seder can be preserved.