א רִבִּי זְעִירָא סְלִיק גַּבֵּיהּ רִבִּי אַבָּהוּ לְקֵיסַרִין אַשְׁכְּחֵיהּ אָמַר אֲזַל לְמֵיכוּל יְהַב לֵיהּ עֲגוּלָה דְּקַצֵּי. אֲמַר לֵיהּ סָב בְּרִיךְ אֲמַר לֵיהּ בַּעַל הַבַּיִת יוֹדֵעַ כּוֹחוֹ שֶׁל כִּכָּרוֹ. מִן דְּאָכְלוּן אֲמַר לֵיהּ סָב בְּרִיךְ. אֲמַר לֵיהּ חֲכַם רִבִּי לְרַב הוּנָא אֵנָשָׁא רַבָּא. וְהוּא הֲוָה אֲמַר הַפּוֹתֵחַ הוּא חוֹתֵם. מַתְנִיתָא פְלִיגָא עַל רַב הוּנָא. דְּתַנִּי סֵדֶר נְטִילַת יָדַיִם עַד חֲמִשָּׁא מַתְחִילִין מִן הַגָּדוֹל. יוֹתֵר מִיכֵּן מַתְחִילִין מִן הַקָּטוֹן. בְּאֶמְצַע הַמָּזוֹן מַתְחִילִין מִן הַגָּדוֹל. לְאַחַר הַמָּזוֹן מַתְחִילִין מִן הַמְּבָרֵךְ לֹא שֶׁיַּתְקִין עַצְמוֹ לִבְרָכָה. אִין תֵּימַר הַפּוֹתֵחַ הוּא חוֹתֵם כְּבָר מְתוּקָּן הוּא. אָמַר רִבִּי יִצְחָק תִּיפְתַּר בְּאִילֵּין דַּהֲוּוּ עֲלִין קִיטְעִין קִיטְעִין וְלָא יָדְעִין מַה מְבָרְכָה.
1 Rebbi Zeïra went up to Rebbi Abbahu in Caesarea. When he met him he said: Come to eat. He [R. Abbahu] gave him a loaf to break and told him: Take it and recite the benediction. He [R. Zeïra] said to him: The householder knows best the qualities of his loaf. After they had eaten, he [R. Abbahu] said to him: Start and recite Grace. He [R. Zeïra] said to him: The rabbi knows Rav Huna who is a great man and he used to say that he who starts is the one who finishes. A <i>baraita</i> disagrees with Rav Huna, as it was stated: “The order of washing of the hands. Up to five persons, one starts with the most important personality. More than that, one starts with the least important one. In the middle of the meal one starts with the most important one. After the meal one starts with him who will recite Grace.” Does that not mean that he may prepare himself for reciting Grace? If you say that the one who starts is the one who finishes, he already is prepared! Rebbi Isaac said, explain it for those who come separately and do not know who will recite Grace.