Shabbos Parashas Vayikra - 5779

Shabbos Parashas Vayikra - 5779

Rabbi Hal Miller

Each of your meal offerings you shall salt with salt, and you may not discontinue salt of your God's

covenant from upon your meal offering, on all of your offerings you will offer salt. [Vayikra 2:13]

We point to this verse today to support our salting bread as part of the Friday night ritual. Does that

actually fit? What does our verse refer to, and why do we salt challah on Shabbos?

Rambam explains that this commandment is "aimed at uprooting Israel from the Emorite ways." The

idolaters sacrificed animals with leaven and honey to add sweetness to their offerings. They did not

use salt, in part to ensure that the blood remained in the animal as part of their worship of Mars. But

the Chasam Sofer argues against Rambam. If we are supposed to separate ourselves from the ways

of the idolaters by adding salt and leaving out leaven and honey, there is a flaw in the logic. Kohanim

are permitted to eat certain offerings with leaven and honey, and are not required to salt certain items.

Added to that confusion, if we are supposedly separating from idolatrous practice, why are we still

permitted to sacrifice at all? He says that this means there is no rational explanation and the law is

a Divine decree to be accepted without reason.

Rav Hirsch says that salt, being a preservative, represents the unchanging nature of God, thus we are

given a reminder when we add it to an offering. Rashi writes that the reason for the commandment is

that during the six days of Creation, the lower (earthly) waters were promised that they would be

brought in Temple services in two forms, salt, and the Succos water ceremony.

In mitzvah 119, Sefer HaChinuch explains that we were commanded to bring as offerings food that we

consider savory and desirable, a goal enhanced by salt. He confirms that the commandment only

applies to kohanim in the days of the Temple.

Our verse specifies meal offerings. But without the Temple, we do not offer meal offerings, so how

would this apply today?

Talelei Oros writes that "there is a custom to dip the piece of bread over which one recites hamotzi into

salt. Since the table at which we eat is considered to be in place of the altar, it is fitting that we use salt.

Chasam Sofer would refrain from doing so on Friday nights since sacrifices were not offered then."

Shulchan Aruch [167:5] states, "One should not break the bread until he has been served in front of

him salt or relish to be added to the piece he breaks off. If the bread is baked from pure flour or is

seasoned with spice or salt like our bread, or if one intends to eat plain bread, he does not need to wait

for salt or relish." This seems to indicate that salting the bread is optional. But Rama adds:

"Nevertheless, it is a mitzvah to bring salt onto the table in all cases before one breaks the bread for the

table is likened to the altar and eating to a sacrifice. The salt is a protection against punishment."

Then, the Mishneh Berurah explains, "So that it will be eaten with a good taste in order to honor the

blessing."

Pretty clearly, our verse commands something separate from what we do on Friday night. Our Sages

have expanded this mitzvah to apply to us now. Why? As with so many other things we do, this is for the purpose of zecher l'mitzvah, that we should remember the commandment to be able to pick it up again when the Temple is returned to us.