Halakhah zu Wajikra 6:14

And know that the participle “ha-motzi’” implies both past and future action. For example, “who brings you forth [ha-motzi’] from the land of Egypt”⁶⁶Lev. 22:23. has a future sense. It alludes to the same time about which our rabbis z”l taught this midrash: “In the future the land of Israel will bring forth [totzi’] cakes and fine woolen clothes, as it is said, ‘Let a slice of grain appear in the land.’⁶⁷Ps 72:16, pisat bar is usually translated “abundant grain,” but the midrash here from b.Ketuboth 111b interprets pisah hyper-literally as a “slice of grain,” i.e., a piece of a ready-made baked good from the land. And we allude in the blessing “ha-motzi’” to the future time when our food will appear without effort and toil, and the land will bring forth actual bread like the bread which we eat and over which we say the blessing. For thus the world would have behaved in the time of Adam had the land not been cursed because of his sin, as it said, “Cursed is the land because of you.”⁶⁸Gen 3:17. And in the future when the sin has been atoned for, the world will return to the way it’s supposed to be.

The head of the house breaks the bread in order to show that he’s being generous with all he has.⁷¹According to b. Berakhot 46a. And the guest leads the blessing after the meal in order to bless the head of the house. The one who breaks the bread is the first to extend his hand into the common serving plate. And if he wants to show respect for his teacher or someone greater than him in wisdom, it’s his choice. And when he breaks a piece from the loaf, he should break a piece from the side of the loaf that is baked the best, for this is amongst the choicest of mitzvot to evoke the name of heaven over it, as it is said about the grain offering [minhah] of the priest: “offer it as a meal offering of the best baked pieces,”⁷²Lev 6:14. Modern commentators are uncertain about the meaning of the Hebrew word tofini, which I have translated here as “best baked,” based on R. Bahya’s interpretation. See the following note. for which the Tractate Zevahim said, “the word tofini would be the nicest baked part.”⁷³B.Menahot 50b. I suspect the Talmud is treating the word tofini as if it were derived from both yafeh – “nice” or “pretty,” and ‘afah –“baked,” a good example of the “creative philology” typical of midrash.