Why a Level 4 devoted to the Alter Rebbe ? The Alter Rebbe’s Shulchan Aruch is not a commentary on the Mehaber (מחבר) — it is a complete, self-standing Shulchan Aruch, written by the Alter Rebbe (Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi, founder of Habad, disciple of the Maggid (מגיד) of Mezeritch). Its singularity : it combines halakha (הלכה) + טעמי המצוות + inner dimension in one work, and rules with a unique Talmudic rigor.
For Habad, the Alter Rebbe is הפוסק האחרון — his psak is the deciding authority. This page gathers the Rav’s way on siman ק״פ — דִּינֵי פֵּרוּרֵי הַפַּת, which unfolds in the Rav over ו׳ סְעִיפִים (six seifim) : from the practice of leaving bread on the table (a sign of blessing), to not removing the cloth and bread until birkat hamazon, to not bringing a whole loaf onto an empty table (a semblance of idolatry), to sweeping the floor of crumbs before the mayim aharonim, to the prohibition of throwing crumbs where people tread, up to the custom of covering the knife during birkat hamazon.
שולחן ערוך הרב — סימן ק״פ — דִּינֵי פֵּרוּרֵי הַפַּת
The full text of the Alter Rebbe’s Shulchan Aruch
שולחן ערוך הרב, סימן ק״פ — דִּינֵי פֵּרוּרֵי הַפַּת — וּבוֹ ו׳ סְעִיפִים
The Alter Rebbe’s own text (Sefaria source Shulchan_Arukh_HaRav,_Orach_Chayim.180), followed by our English translation. The siman comprises six seifim (ו׳ סְעִיפִים ; seif k → .180.k).
סעיף א מִי שֶׁאֵינוֹ מְשַׁיֵּר פַּת — אֵין רוֹאֶה סִימַן בְּרָכָה.
דִּין פֵּרוּרֵי הַפַּת, וּבוֹ ו׳ סְעִיפִים:כָּל מִי שֶׁאֵינוֹ מְשַׁיֵּר פַּת עַל שֻׁלְחָנוֹ — אֵין רוֹאֶה סִימַן בְּרָכָה לְעוֹלָם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "אֵין שָׂרִיד לְאָכְלוֹ, עַל כֵּן לֹא יָחִיל טוּבוֹ", אֲבָל בִּבְרָכָה מַהוּ אוֹמֵר? "אָכֹל וְהוֹתֵר":
מִי שֶׁאֵינוֹ מְשַׁיֵּר פַּת. The law of bread crumbs, and it comprises six seifim: whoever does not leave over bread on his table — never sees a sign of blessing, for it is said: “nothing was left of what he devoured, therefore his prosperity shall not endure”; but concerning blessing, what does [Scripture] say? “eat and have some left over.”
סעיף ב שֶׁלֹּא לְהָסִיר הַמַּפָּה וְהַלֶּחֶם עַד אַחַר בִּרְכַּת הַמָּזוֹן.
וְנָכוֹן שֶׁלֹּא לְהָסִיר הַמַּפָּה וְהַלֶּחֶם עַד אַחַר בִּרְכַּת הַמָּזוֹן, כְּדֵי שֶׁיְּהֵא נִכָּר שֶׁמְּבָרֵךְ ה׳ עַל חַסְדּוֹ וְטוּבוֹ הַגָּדוֹל, שֶׁהֵכִין מָזוֹן לְכָל בְּרִיּוֹתָיו:
שֶׁלֹּא לְהָסִיר הַמַּפָּה וְהַלֶּחֶם. It is proper not to remove the tablecloth and the bread until after birkat hamazon, so that it be evident that one blesses Hashem for His kindness and His great goodness, who prepared food for all His creatures.
סעיף ג לֹא יָבִיא פַּת שְׁלֵמָה — כְּעוֹרֵךְ שֻׁלְחָן לַעֲבוֹדָה זָרָה.
אִם לֹא נִשְׁאַר לוֹ לֶחֶם עַל הַשֻּׁלְחָן — לֹא יָבִיא פַּת שְׁלֵמָה וְיִתְּנֶנָּה עַל הַשֻּׁלְחָן, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁנִּרְאֶה כְּעוֹרֵךְ שֻׁלְחָן לַעֲבוֹדָה זָרָה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב: "הַעֹרְכִים לַגַּד שֻׁלְחָן וְגוֹ׳". אֲבָל אִם הָיְתָה שְׁלֵמָה מֻנַּחַת כְּבָר עַל הַשֻּׁלְחָן, כְּמוֹ שֶׁבְּשַׁבָּת בּוֹצְעִים עַל לֶחֶם מִשְׁנֶה — טוֹב שֶׁלֹּא לַהֲסִירָהּ עַד אַחַר בִּרְכַּת הַמָּזוֹן:
פַּת שְׁלֵמָה עַל הַשֻּׁלְחָן. If no bread remained for him on the table — he shall not bring a whole loaf and place it on the table, because it appears like one who sets a table for idolatry, as the verse said: “who set a table for Gad, etc.” But if a whole loaf was already lying on the table, as on Shabbat when one breaks upon lehem mishneh — it is good not to remove it until after birkat hamazon.
סעיף ד כִּבּוּד הַקַּרְקַע מִפְּנֵי הַפֵּרוּרִים קֹדֶם מַיִם אַחֲרוֹנִים.
בִּימֵי חַכְמֵי הַתַּלְמוּד שֶׁהָיוּ מְסַלְּקִים אֶת הַשֻּׁלְחָנוֹת הַקְּטַנּוֹת שֶׁלִּפְנֵי כָּל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד קֹדֶם מַיִם אַחֲרוֹנִים, וְהָיוּ נוֹטְלִים מַיִם אַחֲרוֹנִים בִּמְקוֹם הַשֻּׁלְחָנוֹת — הָיוּ צְרִיכִים לְכַבֵּד קַרְקַע הַבַּיִת בִּמְקוֹם הַשֻּׁלְחָנוֹת קֹדֶם הַנְּטִילָה, שֶׁלֹּא יִשָּׁאֲרוּ שָׁם פֵּרוּרֵי פַּת וְיִמָּאֲסוּ בְּמֵי הַנְּטִילָה. וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁמֻּתָּר לְאַבֵּד פֵּרוּרִים שֶׁאֵין בָּהֶם כְּזַיִת — חוֹשְׁשִׁים שֶׁמָּא יִהְיֶה הַשַּׁמָּשׁ עַם הָאָרֶץ, שֶׁמֻּתָּר לְהִשְׁתַּמֵּשׁ בְּשַׁמָּשׁ עַם הָאָרֶץ, וְיַנִּיחַ עַל הַשֻּׁלְחָן גַּם פֵּרוּרִים שֶׁיֵּשׁ בָּהֶם כְּזַיִת כְּשֶׁמֵּסִיר הַלֶּחֶם מֵעַל הַשֻּׁלְחָן, וְאַחַר כָּךְ יִפְּלוּ מִמֶּנּוּ כְּשֶׁמְּסַלְּקִין אוֹתָן מִשָּׁם וְיִמָּאֲסוּ בְּמֵי הַנְּטִילָה, לְכָךְ יְכַבֵּד תְּחִלָּה.
אֲבָל אָנוּ שֶׁאֵין אָנוּ מְסַלְּקִין הַשֻּׁלְחָן, וְאָנוּ נוֹטְלִים הַיָּדַיִם בְּמָקוֹם שֶׁאֵין שָׁם פֵּרוּרִים — אֵין צָרִיךְ לְכַבֵּד תְּחִלָּה:
כִּבּוּד מִפְּנֵי הַפֵּרוּרִים. In the days of the Sages of the Talmud, who used to remove the small tables that were before each and every one before the mayim aharonim, and would take the mayim aharonim in the place of the tables — they were required to sweep the floor of the house in the place of the tables before the washing, so that no bread crumbs would remain there and be rendered repugnant by the washing water. And although it is permitted to destroy crumbs that are not the size of a kazayit — there is concern lest the attendant be an ignoramus (am haaretz), for it is permitted to be served by an ignorant attendant, and lest he leave on the table also crumbs that are the size of a kazayit when he removes the bread from the table, and afterward they fall from it when they clear them away from there, and be rendered repugnant by the washing water; therefore he sweeps first.
But we, who do not remove the table, and who wash the hands in a place where there are no crumbs — need not sweep first.
סעיף ה לֹא יִזְרֹק פֵּרוּרִים בִּמְקוֹם דְּרִיסַת רַגְלַיִם.
אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁמֻּתָּר לְאַבֵּד פֵּרוּרִים שֶׁאֵין בָּהֶם כְּזַיִת בַּיָּדַיִם — לֹא יִזְרְקֵם בִּמְקוֹם דְּרִיסַת רַגְלֵי בְּנֵי אָדָם, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁקָּשֶׁה לַעֲנִיּוּת כְּשֶׁדּוֹרְסִים עַל פֵּרוּרֵי לֶחֶם, וְלֹא הִתִּירוּ אֶלָּא לְאַבְּדָם, כְּגוֹן לְהַשְׁלִיכָם לַמַּיִם וְכַיּוֹצֵא בָּזֶה:
אִבּוּד הַפֵּרוּרִים. Although it is permitted to destroy by hand crumbs that are not the size of a kazayit — one shall not throw them in a place where people’s feet tread, because it is hard for poverty (kashe la-aniyut) when one treads upon bread crumbs; and they permitted only to destroy them, such as by casting them into water and the like.
סעיף ו נוֹהֲגִים לְכַסּוֹת הַסַּכִּין בִּשְׁעַת בִּרְכַּת הַמָּזוֹן.
נוֹהֲגִים לְכַסּוֹת הַסַּכִּין בִּשְׁעַת בִּרְכַּת הַמָּזוֹן, כִּי הַשֻּׁלְחָן דּוֹמֶה לְמִזְבֵּחַ, וּבַמִּזְבֵּחַ נֶאֱמַר: "לֹא תָנִיף עֲלֵיהֶם בַּרְזֶל", לְפִי שֶׁהַבַּרְזֶל מְקַצֵּר יָמָיו שֶׁל אָדָם וְהַמִּזְבֵּחַ מַאֲרִיךְ יְמֵי הָאָדָם, וְאֵינוֹ בְּדִין שֶׁיּוּנַף הַמְקַצֵּר עַל הַמַּאֲרִיךְ, וְגַם הַשֻּׁלְחָן מַאֲרִיךְ יָמָיו שֶׁל אָדָם וּמְכַפֵּר עֲוֹנוֹתָיו בְּהַכְנָסַת אוֹרְחִים, שֶׁגָּדוֹל כֹּחָהּ שֶׁל לְגִימָה שֶׁמַּשְׁרָה שְׁכִינָה.
וְנָהֲגוּ בִּמְקוֹמוֹת הַרְבֵּה שֶׁלֹּא לְכַסּוֹתוֹ בְּשַׁבָּת וְיוֹם טוֹב, כִּי בְּחֹל מְכַסִּין אוֹתוֹ מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהוּא כֹּחוֹ שֶׁל עֵשָׂו, וּבְשַׁבָּת וְיוֹם טוֹב אֵין שָׂטָן וּפֶגַע רַע. וּמִנְהָגָן שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל תּוֹרָה הִיא:
כִּסּוּי הַסַּכִּין. It is customary to cover the knife at the time of birkat hamazon, for the table resembles an altar, and concerning the altar it is said: “you shall not lift iron upon them,” because iron shortens a person’s days and the altar lengthens a person’s days, and it is not right that the shortener be lifted upon the lengthener; and the table too lengthens a person’s days and atones for his sins through hospitality (hakhnassat orhim), for great is the power of a morsel (legima) that causes the Shechinah to rest.
And in many places they have the custom not to cover it on Shabbat and Yom Tov, for on a weekday one covers it because it is the power of Esav, and on Shabbat and Yom Tov there is no Satan or evil mishap. And the custom of Israel is Torah.
הלכה למעשה — מנהג חב״ד
The practical Habad conduct
Points of conduct that follow directly from siman ק״פ in the sensibility of the Alter Rebbe and of Habad — presented at the level of principle, referring to the Rav for the detail of cases.
For the Habad Hassid — Siman ק״פ (דִּינֵי פֵּרוּרֵי הַפַּת)
- ① Seif א. Leaving bread on the table at the meal’s end: whoever does not leave bread over never sees a sign of blessing; Scripture contrasts “nothing was left of what he devoured” with “eat and have some left over.”
- ② Seif ב. Do not remove the tablecloth and the bread until after birkat hamazon, so that it be evident that one blesses Hashem who prepares food for all His creatures.
- ③ Seif ג. If no bread remains, do not bring a whole loaf to the table (it resembles setting a table for “Gad,” idolatry); but a whole loaf already lying there (lehem mishneh on Shabbat) — good not to remove it until birkat hamazon.
- ④ Seif ד. In Talmudic times one swept the floor of crumbs before the mayim aharonim (concern for an am-haaretz attendant leaving a kazayit); but we, who do not remove the table and wash where there are no crumbs — need not sweep first.
- ⑤ Seif ה. One may destroy by hand crumbs smaller than a kazayit, but not throw them where feet tread (hard for poverty); only destroy them, e.g. by casting them into water.
- ⑥ Seif ו. It is customary to cover the knife at birkat hamazon (the table is like the altar, “you shall not lift iron upon them”; the table lengthens days and atones through hospitality); and in many places one does not cover it on Shabbat and Yom Tov (the knife is the power of Esav, absent on Shabbat) — and the custom of Israel is Torah.
⚠ This section presents the Habad conduct grounded in the Alter Rebbe’s Shulchan Aruch, siman ק״פ (the real text is reproduced in §1). It does not replace a rabbinic ruling for a particular case. For any concrete question — leaving bread on the table, removing the cloth and bread, the crumbs and covering the knife — consult your Rav, and for Habad, a Habad Rav.