From: Netvort@aol.com
Sent: Friday, March 26, 2004 2:26 AM
To: JoshHoff@aol.com
Subject: Netvort : parshas Vayikra, 5764

   


                                               Salt of the Earth

                   By Rabbi Joshua (tastefully known as The Hoffer) Hoffman


In honor of my uncle, Dr. Heiner (Chanoch) Hoffman, on the occasion of his eighty- fifth birthday, which occurred this past Shabbos.


There is a general requirement, in regard to korbonos - sacrifices brought in the mishkan and mikdash - to apply salt to them. This requirement is spelled out in a verse in this week's parsha : "…on all your offerings you shall offer salt" (Vayikra 2:14). Interestingly, although this requirement applies to all korbonos, whether animal or meal, it is mentioned in the midst of the Torah's discussion of  voluntary sacrifices, and specifically in regard to the korbon mincha, the meal offering. Although one could say that the Torah waited to mention this requirement until after it described both types of sacrifices, I would like to demonstrate that this requirement has special relevance in regard to the korbon mincha.


In describing the process of bringing the korbon mincha, the Torah says, "When a soul (nefesh) will bring a meal offering to God, his offering shall be of flour…" (Vayikra 2:1). Rashi notes the use of the word nefesh, rather than the usual word 'ish' - man -  in describing the one who brings the offering. He comments that nefesh was not used in reference to any of the other voluntary offerings, rather just for the mincha, because it is usually a poor man who brings a meal offering rather than an animal one. Therefore, God says, ' I consider it on his behalf as if he had offered his soul.'  The simple meaning of Rashi's words is that even the offering of some flour as a sacrifice to God is a monetary strain on the poor person, and it is therefore considered as giving one's soul. Rabbi Eliyohu Meir Bloch, in his Peninei Da'as, notes that there is a deeper insight in Rashi's words. A rich man, says Rabbi Bloch, will likely have a feeling of satisfaction when he brings his animal sacrifice, while a poor person will not have such a feeling, being aware of the relative modest cost of what he has brought. As a result, the poor person is more likely to have the proper attitude in bringing the offering, and is thus more likely to be actually offering his soul to God.

In the beginning of our parsha, the Torah says, "when a person from among you will bring an offering to God (Vayikra 1:2). The Sefas Emes writes that the word for 'from among you' - 'mikem' - also means 'from within you' - implying that when a person brings an offering to God, he must actually bring something of himself, of his inner essence, along with the physical offering. According to Rabbi Bloch, a poor person is more likely to have this attitude when he brings his offering, and therefore the Torah describes his bringing it as a process of bringing his soul. Rabbi Yosef Dov Soloveitchik, in the recently published work, BeShem Omram (p. 96), discusses the function of the mitzvoh of semicha, of leaning one's hands on an animal korbon before it is slaughtered in the mishkan. He notes that semicha must be done with both hands and with all of one's strength. The idea being conveyed here is that when the rich man, who can afford an animal korbon, offers his sacrifice, he must keep in mind that the strength he has and the wealth he has acquired are due to God's help, and not his own efforts. By performing semicha on his korbon, he indicates that he recognizes his dependence on God, and dedicates himself to His service. The performance of semicha, of course, does not apply to the korbon mincha. Although, on a simple level, this is because semicha cannot be realized on a meal offering, following Rabbi Bloch's expansion of Rashi's comments, we can understand that there is no need for this practice when one brings such an offering.


There is, however, a different pitfall that confronts the poor person when he brings a korbon mincha. He may consider himself unworthy of bringing an offering, since what he is able to bring is of such a modest quality. This attitude may actually reflect an inner attitude of low self-esteem due to his low economic status. Rabbi Yosef Bechor Shor, in his commentary to parshas Vayikra, says that the korbon mincha is always kodshei kodoshim - holy of holies - unlike animal sacrifices, which are sometimes kodoshim kalim - a lower level of sanctity - because God wants to demonstrate His love for the poor person by show him the importance of his offering. Perhaps this can be seen as a means of assuring him of his self-worth. Interestingly, whereas in the animal versions of the voluntary olah sacrifice, the entire korbon is burned on the altar, in the case of the korbon mincha, a small portion - the kometz, or fistful - is removed and given to the kohanim to eat. The Baal HaTurim explains that this is a command to the kohein not to view the poor person in a contemptuous way. By eating part of his sacrifice, he is showing that it has great significance. Perhaps there is also an added reason for this feature of the korbon mincha, namely, to raise the spirit of the poor person and reassure him of his self-worth.

In light of the emphasis on the inner nature of the korbon mincha, we can better understand why the Torah, in discussing that korbon, forbids adding honey or any manner of leaven to a korbon mincha (Vayikra 2:11). Rabbi Shlomo Ephraim of Lunshitz, in his commentary Keli Yakar, writes that honey is symbolic of the sweet, pleasant things in life, and leaven is a symbol of haughtiness. The prohibition of placing these elements in one's korbon, then, carries the message that a person who wishes to serve God properly should not over-indulge in luxuries, and must approach Him with humility. Perhaps we can understand this prohibition in the context of the poor person's korbon as being a warning to him not to overcompensate for his possible feelings of inadequacy by becoming addicted to those pleasures that he can afford, or by becoming arrogant. Rabbi Mordechai Gifter, in his Pirkei Torah, explains the prohibition differently. He says that honey is an additive, a sweetener unrelated to the food it is added to, while leaven transforms the food it is added to. In both cases, the food being treated is changed through the addition of an outside factor. Our service of God, however, must be genuine, not artificial. In light of this, he continues, we can understand the symbolism behind placing salt on all sacrifices. Salt, explains Rabbi Gifter, brings out the natural flavor of a substance. So, too, in bringing a korbon, one must bring out his true inner essence, and dedicate it to the service of God. Following this explanation, we can understand why it is specifically in connection with the korbon mincha, usually brought by a poor person, that the requirement of placing salt on all sacrifices is mentioned (see Netvort to parshas Vayikra, 5759, available at Torahheights.com, for a different development of Rabbi Gifter's explanation). Salting the korbon represents bringing out one's inner self when bringing the offering. The poor person, on the one hand, is more likely to have this orientation in bringing his korbon, but, on the other hand, is prone to various pitfalls that may lead him to distort his self-image. Therefore, it is specifically in regard to his korbon that we are reminded, symbolically, of what the true purpose of the korbon is.



Please address all correspondence to the author (Rabbi Hoffman) with the following address - JoshHoff @ AOL.com.

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