זוהר, ויגש ו׳Zohar, Vayigash 6

Segment 1א׳

פָּתַח הַהוּא יוּדָאי אֲבַתְרֵיהּ וְאָמַר, (דברים ח׳:י׳) וְאָכַלְתָּ וְשָׂבָעְתָּ וּבֵרַכְתָּ אֶת ה' אֱלקֶיךָ. וְכִי לָא מְבָרְכִינָן לֵיהּ לְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא עַד לָא נִיכוּל, וְהָא אִית לָן לְאַקְדּוּמֵי בְּצַפְרָא וּלְסִדּוּרֵי שְׁבָחָא דִילֵיהּ (דמאריה) כְּדְקָא יְאוּת, וּלְבָרְכָא בִּשְׁמֵיהּ עַד לָא יְבָרֵךְ לְאַחֲרָא בְּעַלְמָא. וּכְתִיב (ויקרא כט) לא תֹאכֵלוּ עַל הַדָּם, אָסוּר לֵיהּ לְמֵיכַל עַד לָא יְבָרֵךְ לְמָארֵיהּ. וְהַשְׁתָּא כְּתִיב וְאָכַלְתָּ וְשָׂבָעְתָּ וּבֵרַכְתָּ.

The Judean then followed with a discourse on the text: And thou shalt eat and be satisfied, and bless the Lord thy God (Deut. 8, 10). ‘Have we not to bless God’, he asked, ‘before we eat? Indeed, we have to get up early in the morning and recite His praises in proper order, and bless His name before we are allowed to salute any living person. Scripture also says: “Ye shall not eat with the blood” (Lev. 19, 26), implying that it is forbidden to eat before pronouncing a benediction to one’s Master. But the truth is that other benedictions are mainly concerned with the declaration of the unity of God,

Segment 2ב׳

אֶלָּא, דָּא בִּרְכָתָא דִצְלוֹתָא דְּיִחוּדָא, וְדָא בִּרְכָתָא דִּמְזוֹנָא. לְאַחֲזָאָה לְגַבֵּי דַרְגָּא דִמְהֵימְנוּתָא, שָׂבָע כְּדְקָא יָאוֹת. וּכְדֵין בְּעֵי לְבָרְכָא לֵיהּ כְּדְקָא יְאוּת, דְּהַהוּא דַרְגָּא דִמְהֵימְנוּתָא יִתְרַוֵּי וִיבָרֵךְ, וְיִתְמַלֵּא חֵידוּ מֵחַיִּין דִּלְעֵילָא כְּמָה דְאִצְטְרִיךְ, בְּגִין לְמֵיהַב לָן מְזוֹנֵי.

whereas the grace after meals is meant to show that along with him who says it the grade of faith is also satisfied, and hence it has to be recited in order that this grade may be satisfied and beatified and filled of joy from the celestial life, so that it may provide us with sustenance.

Segment 3ג׳

דְּהָא קָשִׁין מְזוֹנָא דְבַר נָשׁ קַמֵי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, כִּקְרִיעַת יַם סוּף. מַאי טַעְמָא. בְּגִין דִּמְזוֹנָא דְעַלְמָא דִלְעֵילָא הוּא, דִּתְנַן בָּנֵי חַיֵּי וּמְזוֹנֵי וְכוּ', וּבְגִין כָּךְ קַשְׁיָין קַמֵּיהּ מְזוֹנֵי דְעַלְמָא. דְּהָא בְּמַזָּלָא תַּלְיָא מִילְתָא. דְּמִנֵּיהּ נָפְקֵי מְזוֹנֵי וְחַיֵּי וּבָנֵי. וּבְגִין כָּךְ קָשִׁין קַמֵּיהּ מְזוֹנֵי דְעַלְמָא, דְּהָא לָאו בִּרְשׁוּתֵיהּ קָיְימָא, עַד דְּיִתְבָּרֵךְ אִיהוּ.

For the providing of man’s daily food is for the Holy One, blessed be He, as heavy a task as the cleaving of the Red Sea, because it depends upon mazzal and is not, as it were, under His jurisdiction until a benediction is pronounced to Him.