זוהר, עקב ב׳Zohar, Eikev 2

Segment 1א׳

פָּתַח וְאָמַר, (שמות כ״ה:כ״ג) וְעָשִׂיתָ שֻׁלְחָן עֲצֵי שִׁטִּים וְגוֹ'. תָּא חֲזִי, מִנְהָגִין טָבִין וְשַׁפִּירָן הֲווֹ נַהֲגֵי מָארֵי דִּסְעוּדָתָא דְּמַלְכָּא, לְאַחֲזָאָה דְּאִינּוּן מִבְּנֵי פָּתוֹרָה דְּמַלְכָּא. חַד (חדא), רַבְרְבָא מִבְּנֵי סְעוּדָתָא, נָטִיל יְדוֹי בְּזִמְנָא דְיֵיעַלוּן (דייעול) לִסְעוּדָתָא לְהָסֵב, גָּדוֹל מֵסֵב בָּרֹאשׁ, תִּנְיָינָא תְּחוֹתֵיהּ, וּתְלִיתָאָה תְּחוֹת תִּנְיָינָא. וְאִלֵּין אִתְקְרִיאוּ ג' מִטּוֹת, לָקֳבֵל תְּלַת אֲבָהָן, וְלָקֳבֵל כֹּהֲנִים לְוִיִּם וְיִשְׂרְאֵלִים. מִכָּאן וְאֵילָךְ, לֵית לוֹן סֵדֶר, אֶלָּא כָּל הַקּוֹדֵם זָכָה.

He opened and said: “And you shall make a table of acacia wood,” etc. (Ex. 25, 23). Observe: good and fair customs did the masters of the meal of the King observe, to show that they are of the sons of the table of the King. One (a variant reads chada), the greatest of the sons of the meal, washes his hands at the time when they enter (a variant reads: when he enters) the meal to recline; the greatest reclines at the head, the second below him, and the third below the second. And these are called three couches, corresponding to the three Patriarchs, and corresponding to priests, Levites and Israelites. From here onward they have no order, but whoever comes first has acquired the right.

Segment 2ב׳

תִּנְיָינָא, בַּעַל הַבַּיִת בּוֹצֵעַ, כְּדֵי שֶׁיִבְצַע בְּעַיִן יָפָה. וּמַשְׁלִים בִּרְכָתָא, וּלְבָתַר בּוֹצֵעַ. וְאוֹקְמוּהָ רַבָּנָן דְּמַתְנִיתִין, דְּאֵין הַמְסוּבִּין רַשָׁאִין לִטְעוֹם, עַד שֶׁיִטְעוֹם הַמְּבָרֵךְ. וְלֵית הַבּוֹצֵעַ רַשָׁאי לִטְעוֹם, עַד שֶׁיִּכְלֶה אָמֵן מִפִּי הַמְסוּבִּין. וְאִם רְעוּתֵיהּ לְחַלֵּק כָּבוֹד, הָרְשׁוּת בִּידֵיהּ. וְעוֹד אוֹקְמוּהָ, דְּאוֹרֵחַ מְבָרֵךְ, בְּגִין דִּיבָרֵךְ לְבַעַל הַבַּיִת.

Second: the master of the house breaks the bread, so that he may break it with a generous eye. And he completes the blessing, and afterwards breaks. And the sages of the Mishnah have explained that those reclining are not permitted to taste until the one who blesses tastes; and the one who breaks the bread is not permitted to taste until the Amen has ceased from the mouth of those reclining. And if it is his desire to apportion honour, the right is his. And they further explained that the guest blesses, so that he may bless the master of the house.

Segment 3ג׳

וְאֹרַח רָזָא, בַּעַל הַבַּיִת בּוֹצֵעַ, דָּא עַמּוּדָא דְּאֶמְצָעִיתָא, דְּאִיהוּ קַו הָאֶמְצָעִי. וּבְשַׁבָּת צָרִיךְ לִבְצוֹעַ מִשְּׁנֵי כִּכָּרוֹת, דְּאִינּוּן ה' ה'. בַּעַל הַבַּיִת, דָּא ו' דְּאֶמְצָעִיתָא. (וכגוונא דא ובגין דא) וּבְגִין דְּלָא לְאִתְחֲזָאָה כְּרַעַבְתָּנוּתָא, יָכִיל לְמִבְצַע בָּהּ לְכָל חַד וְחַד כַּבֵּיצָה. מַאי כַּבֵּיצָה. י' וְי'. אִינּוּן נְקוּדִין דִּשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא, אִתְקְרֵי פִּרוּרֵי בְּכַזַּיִת. וְאִלֵּין לָקֳבֵל טִפִּין דְּזֶרַע, וּמַאן דִּמְזַלְזֵל בְּהוֹן, וְזָרִיק לוֹן בַּאֲתָר דְּלָא אִצְטְרִיךְ, עֲנִיּוּתָא קָא רָדִיף אֲבַּתְרֵיהּ, וְאָזִיל נָע וָנָד. הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, (איוב ט״ו:כ״ג) נוֹדֵד הוּא לַלֶּחֶם אַיֵּה. וְלֵית לֶחֶם אֶלָּא תּוֹרָה, וְהוּא צווֵֹחַ אַיֵּה מַאן דִּמְרַחֵם עָלֵיהּ, וְלָא יִשְׁכַּח.

And by way of mystery: the master of the house breaks the bread — this is the central column, which is the middle line. And on the Sabbath one must break bread from two loaves, which are He and He. The master of the house: this is the Vau of the middle. (And in this manner, and for this reason.) And so as not to appear greedy, he may break from it for each and every one a piece the size of an egg. What is “the size of an egg”? Yod and Yod: they are the points of the Holy Name. It is called crumbs the size of an olive; and these correspond to drops of seed. And whoever slights them, and throws them in a place where they should not be, poverty pursues him, and he goes wandering and roaming. This is as it is written, “He wanders abroad for bread: where is it?” (Job 15, 23). And there is no bread but Torah; and he cries, Where is one who will have mercy on me? — and he does not find.