Omer Learning 2018: Day 23 | Parashah: Vayikra

Today is 23 days, which is 3 weeks and 2 days of the Omer

Instructions for counting the omer are found on our Omer Overview Page. You can find the specific blessing for today at chabad.org.

We’re dedicating a new Sefer Torah on the first day of Shavuot. In honor of this joyous occasion, we’re using the counting of the Omer to take a whirlwind trip through the Torah

Today’s portion is Vayikra from the book of Leviticus. Today’s insight was generously provided by Eric A.

Would you like some salt with that? Today, our doctors tell us to cut back on salt, yet here Ha’shem says that every offering must have salt on it. Why?

To understand the answer, we must understand the properties of salt, and what Rashi means by calling this the Covenant of Salt. First, Ramban tells us that salt can be a blessing or a curse. It enhances the flavor of food and serves as a preservative, yet is also stops things from growing and makes water undrinkable. Rashi also reminds us that salt is permanent, we can dissolve it in water, but we can also pull it out again.

From this, we see the Covenant of the Salt. The Midrash tells us on the second day of creation, Ha’shem brought some water to heaven, while leaving other water here on earth. Even the remaining water could rise to heaven when it evaporated, but the lowly salt remained behind. Thus, Ha’shem promised it that it would be for a blessing by being part of the sacrificial service. Thus from the salt, we learn that something that may seem merely a destructive residue, can be play a role in the creation of holiness. So too, can we recognize that everyone, no mater how mundane or destructive they seem to be, has the ability to contribute to their community.

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