If Shabbat is the bride, and the bride provides the parnassah (livelihood), now we understand what the Zohar HaKadosh says to the men. The men say—and don't rub this into your husband to make him say, “The Rabbi said, I'm just telling you what it says.” The Gemara says, “Honor your wives in order that you should become wealthy.” Because the beracha (blessing) in a person's house comes from the lady. Just like Abraham was a wealthy man, but Abraham's wealth did not come from Abraham. It says, “God blessed Abraham because of Sarah.”
The question is, but the lady doesn't even work half the time. Why should the beracha come from the lady? The explanation is that, since the lady represents in this mashal (parable) the Shabbat, because she's the kallah (bride), the kallah is the Shabbat, and since the beracha comes from the Shabbat, in the human version of this, it is the lady that brings the beracha.
That's why we have a custom on Friday night, when we have the challah (Sabbath bread). The husband makes the Hamotzi lechem min ha'aretz (Who brings forth bread from the earth). Not like in the modern world, where they let the lady make the Hamotzi; they mess it all up. You're supposed to follow the tradition. They want to be fair: “I make it, you make it over here.” It doesn't work that way. The man makes the kiddush (sanctification), the man makes the Hamotzi lechem min ha'aretz. Don't change the tradition.
The man says Hamotzi lechem min ha'aretz, and he takes for himself a kezayit (olive-sized portion). Whatever. But when it comes to his wife, he takes double. He takes a kebeitzah (egg-sized portion). You're supposed to give your wife double the amount. Why? Certainly she's not going to eat it. The answer is that she's representing that all the beracha comes from the wife. Therefore, you present her with a double portion.
Like the Arizal said in his song. The Arizal said, “When we cut the rifta, rifta is the bread.”