Question of the Week:
Why do we dip our Challah in salt? I know about dipping in honey for a sweet new year, but I never saw the salt thing before. What does it symbolize?
Answer:
In days of old, salt was a precious commodity. It was used as a preservative before refrigeration was invented. And in the Holy Temple in Jerusalem, salt was a vital ingredient in the sacrificial service. Every sacrifice was accompanied with salt.
Salt represents the unbreakable bond between G-d and the Jewish people. Salt will never go bad. This is why it was used as a preservative. It doesn't decompose. So too the divine love for us will never wither. No matter what we do, no matter how distant we may be from Him, no matter how wayward we may have been, G-d never gets sick of us. We can always turn to Him, and He will always be there for us. Like salt, our connection can never be spoiled.
This is why we dip Challah in salt. Today, we no longer have the Temple, but our home is our temple. We no longer have the altar, so our table becomes the altar. We no longer have sacrifices, our meals are the sacrifices. And we no longer use salt as a preservative. But putting a fridge on the table would be a little awkward. So we still have the salt. To remind us of G-d's love for us that never goes bad, and that deep part of us that remains Jewish no matter what.
--Rabbi Moss
