“וכל קרבן מנחתך במלח תמלח ולא תשבית מלח ברית אלקיך מעל מנחתך על כל קרבנך תקריב מלח"
“And every meal-offering you shall season with salt, and you may not discontinue the salt of the covenant of your G‑d upon your meal-offering. On all your sacrifices you shall offer salt.” (2:13)
Why must Karbans always be salted?
There are 3 parts of the world: inhabited land, water and deserts. The Beit Hamikdash was on inhabited land, the Torah was given in the desert but nothing holy happened with water! Therefore, in order for water to have something holy happen with it, Hashem commanded us to salt karbanos and use that water to pour on the מזבח on sukkah. (When sea water is boiled it separates into salt and water). (רבינו בחיי)
What other reasons are there that we put salt on karbanot?
What are some other rules we see about karbanot that have deeper meanings?
Where else in the Torah do we see an idea similar to this one?
When else do we usually salt something? Why?
Where else do we know that we have to salt something? Similar to what the pasuk says about salting your קרבנות, we know from masechet חולין that we have to salt all of our meats in order for them to be kosher. This being because the salt draws the blood out of the meat, and we know from the Torah that we are not allowed to consume blood. I find it very interesting that we add this extra step of putting salt on the meat even after we have soaked it in water, because you would think that using water would be enough. However we learn from this that all steps are necessary and we always use extra caution to make sure that our food is the best quality that it can be.
ReplyDeleteRabbi shoprin comments that we use salt when we dip challah into salt and this is because our table is like the alter because when talking about the alter in the passuk it says the table. He says that the food we are eating should be treated like korbanot and as it says karbanot were salted thus we treat our challah like a korban and dip it in salt. I really like this because I never knew why we did this on shabbos .https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/484194/jewish/Why-Do-We-Dip-the-Challah-Bread-in-Salt.htm (Rivka Yellin
ReplyDeleteWhy do we salt korbanot?
ReplyDeleteSefer HaChinuch says that we salt our korbanot because to give a korban without flavor is insulting to Hashem and disrespectful.
I like this answer because its simple and answers the question clearly.
https://www.torahinmotion.org/discussions-and-blogs/vayikra-pass-the-salt
Why does salt have to be on every korban? Rashi answers this by explaining that a promise was made all the way back in Bereishit when he created the world. While Hashem was creating the water and ocean, he made it salt water. Hashem then promised that any time a korbon is given, the water that is poured on top will be in the form of salt. Water will also be turning into the form of salt when it is poured on the mizbeach during Sukkot. I really like this answer because it brings us back all the way to creation and ties it in with that which I think is really nice.
ReplyDeleteThe Rabbeinu Bahya says that the simple reason that we salt the Karban is so that it won’t be bland and that the Torah teaches us manners with this instruction. Even though hashem isn’t actually “eating” the karban it is not respectful to offer him something that we wouldn’t eat ourselves. Just like one wouldn’t serve a king bland food or meat.
ReplyDeleteI like this answer because it is plain and simple and it answers the question starlight forward.
Ibin Ezra says that we salt the korbanot because we don’t want to give something to Hashem that is tasteless because that would be disrespectful to Hashem. I like this answer bc it a simple answer that makes sense and it’s a nice way to respect Hashem even if it’s a small thing like putting salt on something.
ReplyDeleteAriella Vogel:
ReplyDeleteWhen else do we usually salt something? Why?
Another time we salt something is at the Seder table when we dip our Carpas in the salt water and the rabbis say this is to resemble and make us remember the sweat and tears of the Jewish people in Egypt. I like this answer because it is simple and makes sense.
Jessie Brenner
ReplyDeleteAccording to Rabbi Jannet Madden, salt is what unifies every Korban we give to hashem. We take it for granted, it’s kind of just there, we use it in our daily lives. Similarly, we may forget and not appreciate the connection we have together as Jews. Therefore, salt is a symbol of what unifies us as Jewish people. I like this answer because it connects to our daily life that we can all connect to each other, because at the end of the day we’re all hashem creations.