To not offer a sacrifice without salt: To not omit salt from upon the sacrifice or upon the meal-offering; meaning to say that the priests not offer any sacrifice or any meal-offering unless they place salt in them, as it is stated (Leviticus 2:13), “you shall not omit the salt of your covenant with God from your meal-offering.” And it is also written (there), “upon all your offerings you shall offer salt.”
From the laws of the commandment is [that which] they, may their memory be blessed, said (Menachot 21a) that it is a commandment to salt the meat properly — similar to the salting of meat for roasting — such that he salts it from both sides. But it is fit, ex post facto, even if he salted it a tiny bit (Mishneh Torah, Laws of Things Forbidden on the Altar 5:11). And the salt with which we salt the sacrifices is the community’s, like the [fire]wood. And an individual does not bring salt or wood for the sacrifices. And all of this is from the aggrandizement of the [Temple]; as “in a place of wealth, there is no poverty” (Shabbat 102b). And they would put the salt in three places: in the chamber of salt; on top of the ramp; and at the top of the altar. They would salt the limbs in the chamber of salt, and they would salt the handful, the frankincense, the burnt meal-offerings and the burnt-offering of the fowl at the top of the altar. And the rest of its details are in the seventh chapter of Zevachim.
And [it] is practiced at the time of the [Temple] by the males of the priesthood, as it is for them to complete the requirements of the sacrifice. And a priest that transgresses and offers a sacrifice or meal-offering without salt at all, has violated a positive commandment and also violated this negative commandment. And he is lashed — as behold, there is an act here when he offers the bland meat, about which he has been warned not to offer it without salt.
שֶׁלֹּא לְהַקְרִיב קָרְבָּן בְּלֹא מֶלַח – שֶׁלֹּא לְהַשְׁבִּית מֶלַח מֵעַל הַקָּרְבָּן אוֹ הַמִּנְחָה, כְּלוֹמַר שֶׁלֹּא יַקְרִיבוּ הַכֹּהֲנִים שׁוּם קָרְבָּן אוֹ שׁוּם מִנְחָה אֶלָּא אִם כֵּן יָשִׂימוּ בָּהֶן מֶלַח, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ויקרא ב יג) וְלֹא תַשְׁבִּית מֶלַח בְּרִית אֱלֹהֶיךָ מֵעַל מִנְחָתֶךָ, וְכָתוּב גַּם כֵּן (שם) עַל כָּל קָרְבָּנְךָ תַּקְרִיב מֶלַח.
To not offer a sacrifice without salt: To not omit salt from upon the sacrifice or upon the meal-offering; meaning to say that the priests not offer any sacrifice or any meal-offering unless they place salt in them, as it is stated (Leviticus 2:13), “you shall not omit the salt of your covenant with God from your meal-offering.” And it is also written (there), “upon all your offerings you shall offer salt.”
מִשָּׁרְשֵׁי הַמִּצְוָה. כָּתַבְתִּי לְמַעְלָה בְּרֹאשׁ הַסֵּדֶר.
I have written from the roots of the commandment above at the beginning of the Order.
מִדִּינֵי הַמִּצְוָה, אָמְרוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (מנחות כא א) שֶׁמִּצְוָה לִמְלֹחַ הַבָּשָׂר יָפֶה כְּעֵין מוֹלֵחַ הַבָּשָׂר לְצָלִי שֶׁמּוֹלְחוֹ מִשְּׁנֵי צְדָדִים. וּבְדִיעֲבַד (רמב"ם פ"ה איס רי מזבח הי"א י"ג) אֲפִלּוּ מָלַח כָּל שֶׁהוּא כָּשֵׁר. וּמֶלַח שֶׁמּוֹלְחִין בּוֹ הַקָּרְבָּנוֹת הוּא מִשֶּׁל צִבּוּר, כְּמוֹ הָעֵצִים. וְאֵין הַיָּחִיד מֵבִיא מֶלַח אוֹ עֵצִים לְקָרְבָּנוֹת, וְכָל זֶה מֵהַגְדָּלַת הַבַּיִת דְּבִמְקוֹם עֲשִׁירוּת לֵיכָּא עֲנִיּוּת (שבת קב, ב). וּבִשְׁלשָׁה מְקוֹמוֹת הָיוּ נוֹתְנִין הַמֶּלַח, בְּלִשְׁכַּת הַמֶּלַח וְעַל גַּבֵּי הַכֶּבֶשׁ וּבְרֹאשׁוֹ שֶׁל מִזְבֵּחַ. בְּלִשְׁכַּת הַמֶּלַח הָיוּ מוֹלְחִין הָאֵבָרִים, וּבְרֹאשׁוֹ שֶׁל מִזְבֵּחַ מוֹלְחִין הַקֹּמֶץ וְהַלְּבוֹנָה וְהַמְּנָחוֹת הַנִּשְׂרָפוֹת וְעוֹלַת הָעוֹף. וְיֶתֶר פְּרָטֶיהָ מְבֹאָרִין בְּפֶרֶק שְׁבִיעִי מִזְּבָחִים.
From the laws of the commandment is [that which] they, may their memory be blessed, said (Menachot 21a) that it is a commandment to salt the meat properly — similar to the salting of meat for roasting — such that he salts it from both sides. But it is fit, ex post facto, even if he salted it a tiny bit (Mishneh Torah, Laws of Things Forbidden on the Altar 5:11). And the salt with which we salt the sacrifices is the community’s, like the [fire]wood. And an individual does not bring salt or wood for the sacrifices. And all of this is from the aggrandizement of the [Temple]; as “in a place of wealth, there is no poverty” (Shabbat 102b). And they would put the salt in three places: in the chamber of salt; on top of the ramp; and at the top of the altar. They would salt the limbs in the chamber of salt, and they would salt the handful, the frankincense, the burnt meal-offerings and the burnt-offering of the fowl at the top of the altar. And the rest of its details are in the seventh chapter of Zevachim.
וְנוֹהֶגֶת בִּזְמַן הַבַּיִת בְּזִכְרֵי כְּהֻנָּה כִּי לָהֶם לְהַשְׁלִים צָרְכֵי הַקָּרְבָּן. וְכֹהֵן הָעוֹבֵר עָלֶיהָ וְהִקְרִיב קָרְבָּן אוֹ מִנְחָה בְּלֹא מֶלַח כְּלָל, בִּטֵּל עֲשֵׂה וְגַם עוֹבֵר עַל לָאו זֶה וְלוֹקֶה, שֶׁהֲרֵי מַעֲשֶׂה יֵשׁ כָּאן כְּשֶׁהוּא מַקְרִיב הַבָּשָׂר הַתָּפֵל שֶׁהֻזְהַר עָלָיו שֶׁלֹּא לְהַקְרִיבוֹ בְּלֹא מֶלַח.
And [it] is practiced at the time of the [Temple] by the males of the priesthood, as it is for them to complete the requirements of the sacrifice. And a priest that transgresses and offers a sacrifice or meal-offering without salt at all, has violated a positive commandment and also violated this negative commandment. And he is lashed — as behold, there is an act here when he offers the bland meat, about which he has been warned not to offer it without salt.