English: If it had said only “upon every offering of yours you shall offer salt,” one might have thought even wood and blood (which are called offerings) require salt. Therefore the verse says “meal-offering of yours” — just as a meal-offering is something for which other things come as an obligation with it, so only such offerings require salt; wood and blood, which have no accompanying obligation, are excluded.
In Sifra: The general language “every offering” is limited by the parallel to the mincha. Salt is required for items that are themselves accompanied by other required elements; pure wood and pure blood are not salted.
Type of Learning
R’ Yishmael #3 (בנין אב) / limiting general by particular.
What Is Learned
Salt is obligatory for the ordinary sacrificial suite, but not for wood or blood standing alone.