Halakhah sur Rois 2 4:2
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר אֵלֶ֤יהָ אֱלִישָׁע֙ מָ֣ה אֶֽעֱשֶׂה־לָּ֔ךְ הַגִּ֣ידִי לִ֔י מַה־יֶּשׁ־לכי [לָ֖ךְ] בַּבָּ֑יִת וַתֹּ֗אמֶר אֵ֣ין לְשִׁפְחָתְךָ֥ כֹל֙ בַּבַּ֔יִת כִּ֖י אִם־אָס֥וּךְ שָֽׁמֶן׃
Élisée lui répondit: "Que puis-je faire pour toi? Dis-moi ce que tu possèdes dans ta demeure. Ta servante, répondit-elle, ne possède rien de plus, dans sa demeure, qu’un vase d’huile."
Kitzur Shulchan Arukh
Do not remove the tablecloth or bread until after Birkas Hamazon. Bread should be on the table at the time of Birkas Hamazon to demonstrate the abundance of goodness from Hashem, blessed be His Name—that He gives us enough to eat and to spare, as Elisha [the prophet] said to his servant:2Kings II Chap. 4: 43. "For so said Hashem, eat and leave over." Another reason for this custom is that Hashem's blessing has no effect on a void. It is only effective on some existing substance, as Elisha said to the wife of Ovadiah:3Kings II 4: 2. "What do you have in the house?" [which I can bless.]
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