EXTRA 2 — Vayikra 2:13 · Sifra

Extra Credit · Toras Kohanim

The Complete Passuk

וְלֹ֣א תַשְׁבִּ֗ית מֶ֚לַח בְּרִ֣ית אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ מֵעַ֖ל מִנְחָתֶ֑ךָ

You shall not omit the salt of the covenant of your God from upon your meal-offering.

Source

Sifra on “salt of the covenant” and the preferred variety.

The Midrash (longer context)

Core Text
״לֹא תַשְׁבִּית מֶלַח״ — הָבֵא מֶלַח שֶׁאֵינָהּ שׁוֹבֶתֶת; וְאֵיזוֹ זוֹ? מֶלַח סְדוֹמִית. וּמִנַּיִן אִם לֹא מָצָא סְדוֹמִית יָבִיא אִסְתְּרוֹקָנִית? … ״בְּרִית״ — מַה ״בְּרִית״ אֲמוּרָה לְהַלָּן מִשֶּׁל צִבּוּר, אַף כָּאן מִשֶּׁל צִבּוּר.

English: “Do not omit salt” — bring salt that does not cease; which is that? Sedom salt. And if Sedom salt is unavailable, one may bring Istrokianith. “Covenant” — just as the covenant stated elsewhere is from public funds, so here the salt is supplied by the public.

In Sifra: The ideal salt is the strong, non-vanishing salt of Sedom. The public treasury supplies it, parallel to other communal obligations tied to a “covenant.”

Type of Learning

R’ Eliezer #7 (גזירה שוה) on “beris” + procedural preference.

What Is Learned

Salt for the altar is a public obligation; Sedom salt is preferred, with a permitted substitute when necessary.