Parashat Vayikra talks about korbanot, the different offerings.
The Parasha says, “Do not stop the salt of the covenant of G-d, on every korban/sacrifice you must have salt.” That is why it’s customary to keep salt on the table. Our table is like a is like a Mizbe’ach/Altar. It says that since we don’t have a Mizbe’ach anymore, our table is is like an altar, and therefore we have salt on our table.
What is the deal with the salt? Why must every offering have salt on it? Rashi tells us that when G-d separated the upper waters and the lower waters on the second day of creation, the waters of the oceans came to complain to G-d, saying that it wasn’t fair that their cousins- the higher waters were high up in the heavens, and they too wanted to be next to their Creator, their King. G-d promised the lower waters that they would have an opportunity to be libated on the Mizbe’ach, on Succot, and in addition, every Korban has salt, and salt comes from the sea. Rav Yaakov Kaminetzsky makes a very interesting point. He says that the water libation only happens once a year. What about the rest of the time? He says some thing very fascinating. Scientifically, we know that water constantly evaporates. Hashem made water as such that the bonds in between the atoms is weak, and therefore, when it gets hot, the water evaporates. Our beds and houses don’t evaporate, but our water does. Why did G-d make it this way? Simply, because in order for it to rain, the ocean waters need to evaporate and go up to the heavens, and then come down as rain. So we need the weak bonds in the water in order to propagate the cycle- otherwise we wouldn’t have rain, or life. All of that is true, but Rav Yaakov Kaminetzsky gives us a deeper meaning. Since the waters wanted to come close to G-d, their want happens. The waters evaporate and go up to G-d. So the waters of the ocean become the waters of the heavens.
We see from this that if a person really wants to come close to Hashem, then he will get there. This is an important concept. Never give up hope. Bitachon is not just for our Parnassa, Bitachon is also for our connection to G-d. We are always supposed to be searching. People are happy,
not just if they found G-d, but if they are constantly looking for G-d, and if they’re always yearning to come close to Him. A person should never despair, or give up thinking there is no hope for him.
That yearning of the lower waters had an impact. And they ended up going up. The rabbis tell us an interesting thought: Food has no flavor, if it doesn’t have salt in it. The salt symbolizes this concept, of the yearning to become closer to Hashem. Hashem gets nachat ruach/enjoyment, when He sees us yearning to come closer to Him. That is one lesson of the salt.
There is a similar lesson in the korbanot. It says that when you bring a korban, you bring it “willingly to Hashem.” This means, simply speaking, that when you bring a korban, you should bring it willingly. But the rabbis also read it as, “you should give your will to G-d.” The greatest korban is when a person sacrifices his will to G-d. What does that mean? One explanation is that when you want something, and you forgo that desire, that is one way to sacrifice your will. Another way to sacrifice your will is, as the Hovot HaLevavot says, when you want some thing and you don’t get it, but can say, “If Hashem doesn’t want me to have it yet, then it is not yet good for me. I am not yet deserving of it, or I did not yet perfect myself enough, so right now it is not the right thing for me. Therefore what I thought I wanted to get is not what I am supposed to be getting.”
That is also a korban of sorts. It’s the korban of giving up your own will and desire for Hashem.
So there are two strong lessons here. One spiritual, and one physical.
On the spiritual level, constantly yearning to come closer to Hashem is not a waste of time. Eventually, it will have an impact, and you will become closer.
Secondly, when we don’t get we want in the physical sense, accepting that is, in itself, a korban of sorts.
B’ezrat Hashem, all our wills should be fulfilled for the good.
Shabbat Shalom.