Parshas Vayikro
Leviticus 1:1 - 5:26

Salt ©

By Dr. Akiva G. Belk

This study of mysticism in Hebrew Gematria is dedicated in the loving memory of Mrs. Ethel Sakash Belk, my mother, may she rest in peace.

"And every sacrifice of your meal offerings salt with salt and do not banish salt, the Covenant of your G-d from on your meal offerings. Place salt on every one of your offerings..." Leviticus 2:13

A reader asked, "What is the meaning of salt? I seem to have forgotten."

Holy reader, just as the rain descends from the Ha Shaw Maw Yim {heavens} upon the earth to water and refresh the earth, from which every man and animal was created, salt is sprinkled like water upon every Karbon. We say that rain on Shabbos is a sign of Hashem's blessing. This is true! Salt is also a sign of Hashem's blessing.

Originally in Genesis water covered the earth. We discussed this in the article entitled, "The Purpose for Creation" stating,

"The Torah says, "The Spirit of G-d hovered over Ha Maw Yeem, meaning the water." Rashi says this means G-d's "Throne of Glory was standing in space hovering over the surface of the waters." In other words, G-d as King was preparing to offer the breath of life to a flooded earth... to an earth covered with the water, Ha Maw Yeem. For what purpose? So that we the Jewish people would prepare a holy place for Hashem to reside among us."

Now, dear reader, that was on Day One when G-d as the source of Light revealed light and separated Light {the Torah} from darkness as discussed in the article entitled "Light". Now returning to that mystical discussion, on the Second Day the Torah states, " And G-d said, 'Let there be a canopy within the waters and let there be a distinction, separate waters unto waters.' And G-d made a canopy and distinguished between the waters that were beneath the canopy and between the waters that were above the canopy..." Genesis 1:6,7

What was this distinction that separated the waters? It was SALT!

Why did G-d separate the "waters unto waters"?

{Continuing with the article "The Purpose for Creation"} "...What does this have to do with the water [covering the earth and being separated]? Water is a cleansing agent. Water is a purifier. The water encompassing the earth as a covering purifies and hides our destructive, chaotic past. So in this sense Ha Maw Yeem represents our return / redemption from a destructive, chaotic past and our reception of the Breath that offers life." In other words, water covered our errors. Water stood between G-d as judge and our failings. G-d separated these waters. Certain water was gathered unto the Heavens with G-d and certain water remained covering the earth symbolically as a covering for mankind's failings. Then the water covering the earth was gathered into seas on the third day. Then on the Third Day dry land appeared. "G-d saw that this was good!" What was good? The gathering of the seas into one place and the appearance of dry land.

Holy reader, notice that after the seas were gathered into one place and after the dry land appeared G-d said it was good. Following this, the dry land... the earth sprouts with seeds and seed yielding herbs and fruit trees. Then "G-d saw this was good." So on the Second Day we have a double blessing. Why? Because it was on the Third Day that the ingredients constituting the meal offering were established. Water containing SALT which covered the earth was gathered into its own place. Dry land that produces wheat / flour appears. Then the dry earth was commanded to sprout... We have one blessing for the water and the salt and we have one blessing for the dry land that sprouted forth the produce which would produce wheat and oil, etc... So, holy reader, on the Third Day we have the products to create an offering unto Hashem! Notice that the first products were NOT OF BLOOD! They were not animal! Interesting! Why were the first products of such simple and obtainable means? Grain {flour}, water, oil, frankincense and salt or just flour, water, oil and salt {as matzahs} are the ingredients for a meal offering. This establishes a very interesting precedence regarding offerings!! The day that the ingredients were created, the Third Day, received not one blessing but two blessings. It is the only day with the distinction of a double blessing. As a side note, G-d did pronounce good on the Sixth Day and very good "FOR ALL HE HAD CREATED" referring to each day's Creation. If one were to consider this, then the Third Day would have three blessings.

Now, holy chassidim, the point is that G-d as Righteous Judge and Creator has elevated this extremely humble offering by creating it first and by establishing the Covenant of salt! Salt presides over every karbon even this the most humble of offerings, the meal offering. Why? Because Salt was created on the second Day. Why? Because Salt is a preservative! Why? Because Salt has the power to alter whatever it touches. Salt creates thirst... a thirst for Torah learning... a thirst for Torah observance!! Salt represents stability between opposing forces as in fire and water.

As a side note, I should point out that the supposed offering of Jesus as a human sacrifice which time and time again in dozens of our writings we have shown to be ludicrous among many other things, DOES NOT OBSERVE THE COVENANT OF SALT!

Now G-d as Judge... as Creator... as Ruler has placed salt in this high position of honor by making a Covenant, The Covenant of Salt! Our sages say this agreement was made on the Second Day of Creation when "G-d made a canopy and distinguished between the waters that were beneath the canopy and between the waters that were above the canopy..." When these waters were separated the lower waters protested that they desired to be close to Hashem like the upper waters were. As a result G-d established the Covenant of Salt. The waters of the seas produced the Salt required in every karbon which is why we read "do not banish salt, the Covenant of your G-d." Salt is the product of an alliance between fire from the sun and ocean water. The fire from the sun bears down upon the water. The water evaporates leaving behind salt as a product from this alliance!

When man was created by G-d, man was formed from the dust of the ground. Genesis 2:6 So G-d as Adam's Creator... as Adam's Father is in essence represented by "Fire"{Deuteronomy 4:24}. We make this mystical connection in the name Eesh meaning "man". It is spelled Aleph Yud Shin. We see this connection in the name Ee Shaw meaning "woman" Ee Shaw is spelled Aleph Shin Hey. Both Eesh and Ee Shaw constitute the letters Aleph Shin which represents Aysh meaning fire.

Next we observe the earth from which Adam was formed which is representative of Adam's Mother. The Torah states that Adam was formed from the dust of the earth. However mystically speaking we understand from Adam's name which is the essence of who he is that he consists of dust vapor {water} and blood. The first two letters of Adam's name are Aleph Dalet representing Ee Daw meaning vapor which is spelled Aleph Dalet Hey. The last two letters of Adam's name are Dalet Mem representing Dawm meaning blood. So we observe the mystical composition of Adam to be Fire, Dust, Vapor {water} and Blood. So within man is this mixture of both fire and water.

Now both Adam and Chava were created on the Sixth Day. Their two sons were born on the Sixth Day. They were expelled from Gan Eden on the Sixth Day! The point is that animal sacrifice did not exist until after their sin. The point is that the only accepted offering before their sin was the meal offering. The meal offering which requires not only grain {flour}, water, oil, frankincense and salt or just flour, water, oil and salt {as matzahs} as the ingredients for a meal offering BUT ALSO FIRE TO BAKE IT! So holy reader from the very beginning the humble meal offering was the designated offering in Gan Eden not animal sacrifice. So G-d's intention was to offer the meal offering in Gan Eden with Salt. Yet G-d knew Adam would fail and as a result prepared for his failure by stating His intention in the Covenant of Salt.

Other offerings which do not use or require water certainly are required to use salt. However, the meal offering which partly constitutes water may give the impression of fulfilling the Covenant of Salt. Not so! Why not?

The Torah teaches that our Shulchan {our table} is like the Shulchan lechem hapanim, the Table of the Showbreads in the Mishkon and in the Bais HaMikdosh. In other words the first offering, the humble offering, the meal offering, the Matzah offering given on the Third Day of Creation is available to every Jew. It is affordable. It is easily obtainable. It is the offering that each of us can symbolically offer to Hashem even in gullis without our precious Bais HaMikdosh. We can offer it in our home upon the altar of our shulchan. We can fire it with the words of our praise and blessing to Hashem and we can fulfill the Covenant of Salt.

Again we read, " And G-d said, 'Let there be a canopy within the waters and let there be a distinction, separate waters unto waters.' And G-d made a canopy and distinguished between the waters that were beneath the canopy and between the waters that were above the canopy..." Genesis 1:6,7

The Gematria Mispar Katan of
Vah Yahv Dayl - Bayn - Hah Mah Yeem - Ah Shehr - Mee Tah Chahs - Law Raw Kee Ah meaning, "and [G-d] distinguished between the waters that were beneath the canopy{and between the waters that were above the canopy...}" This Gematria Mispar Katan is 78

Vah Yahv Dayl - Bayn - Hah Mah Yeem - {and [G-d] distinguished between the waters}
38 = Mem 4 Yud 1 Mem 4 Hey 5 - Nun 5 Yud 1 Bais 2 - Lamid 3 Dalet 4 Bais 2 Yud 1 Vav 6

Ah Shehr - Mee Tah Chahs - Law Raw Kee Ah {that were beneath the canopy}
40 = Ayin 7 Yud 1 Kuf 1 Reish 2 Lamid 3 - Sav 4 Chess 8 Sav 4 Mem 4 - Reish 2 Shin 3 Aleph 1

78 = 38 + 40

 

Meh Lah Ach {Salt}
78 = Ches = 8 Lamid = 30 Mem = 40

 

I also recommend reading the article entitled NOT KOSHER FOR PESACH...

Best Wishes!

Dr. Akiva G. Belk

Weekly Studies

JewishPath is a sponsor of B'nai Noach Torah Institute. As a sponsor we are permitted to offer one FREE E-Mail course on a limited basis per individual from BNTI's Introduction Courses. We invite you to visit and choose an E - Mail Intro Course. BNTI offers Intro Courses in Judaism and Spirituality {7 Noaich Laws}. BNTI Responses are NOT AUTO!!

B'nai Noach Torah Institute offers dozens of tuition e - mail courses. Please visit BNTI's Tuition Courses page.
For Jewish Classmates: Gematria, Parsha, Tehillim, Medos, High Holidays and many more...
For Spiritualist Classmates: Bereishis, Torah, Blessings, Intro. Hebrew and many more...

B'nai Noach Torah Institute
E-mail
Courses

Colorado Jewish Community Directory

  Study The Seven Noach Commandments

The Learning Store 
Weekly Parsha 

 Gematria

  High Holy Days

Messianic Refute

Glossary

 Other Links

 Jewish Links

  Humor

  Stories

  Torah Or Bust!

 Membership at J P

  Support J P

 About J P

  E - Mail J P

  HOME

Search JewishPath

JewishPath Search is for Active JewishPath Membership and Tuition Classmates at BNTI only.