The commandment of salting the sacrifice: To offer salt on all of the sacrifices; meaning to say, that he place salt in the meat of the sacrifice and so [too,] in the flour of the meal-offerings, as it is stated (Leviticus 2:13), “upon all your offerings you shall offer salt.”
We have already said in the commandment of the building of the [Temple] (Sefer HaChinukh 95) that it is from the roots of the commandment of the sacrifice to render fit and straighten the soul of the one who offers it. And therefore in order to arouse the soul of the one who offers, he is commanded [to bring as an] offering things that are good, pleasant and beloved to him — and as we wrote above. And the salt in it is also from this root, so that his action be complete, [that] it not lack anything according to the practice of people; since then will his heart be more aroused. As anything without salt is not pleasant to a person — not its flavor and not even its smell. And besides this, there is another matter hinted to with salt, as salt preserves everything and saves from spoiling and rotting. And so [too,] with the procedure of the sacrifice, a man is saved from loss, preserves his soul and will remain in existence forever.
From the laws of the commandment is that which they, may their memory be blessed said (Menachot 20a) that all the sacrifices are salted before they go up to the altar. And you do not have anything that approached the altar without salt, except for the libations, blood and wood. And this thing is a tradition and it does not have a [source in] Scripture. And if he transgressed and sacrificed without salt, the sacrifice is fit and acceptable — except for the meal-offering, [for which] the [lack of] salt invalidates it. As about it is it stated explicitly (Leviticus 2:13), “you shall not omit the salt of your covenant with God from your meal-offering.” And the rest of its details are elucidated in Sifra and in [various] places in Menachot. (See Mishneh Torah, Laws of Things Forbidden on the Altar 5:11.)
And [it] is practiced at the time of the [Temple] by the males of the priesthood. And one who transgresses this and offers a meal-offering or sacrifice without salt has violated this positive commandment; and he further violates a negative commandment, as it is written, “you shall not suppress the salt, etc.”
מִצְוַת מְלִיחַת הַקָּרְבָּן – לְהַקְרִיב מֶלַח עַל כָּל הַקָּרְבָּנוֹת. כְּלוֹמַר, שֶׁיִּתֵּן מֶלַח בִּבְשַׂר הַקָּרְבָּן וְכֵן בְּקֶמַח הַמְּנָחוֹת, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ויקרא ב יג) עַל כָּל קָרְבָּנְךָ תַּקְרִיב מֶלַח.
The commandment of salting the sacrifice: To offer salt on all of the sacrifices; meaning to say, that he place salt in the meat of the sacrifice and so [too,] in the flour of the meal-offerings, as it is stated (Leviticus 2:13), “upon all your offerings you shall offer salt.”
כְּבָר אָמַרְנוּ בְּמִצְוַת בִּנְיַן הַבַּיִת (מצוה צה), כִּי מִשָּׁרְשֵׁי מִצְוַת הַקָּרְבָּן לְהַכְשִׁיר וּלְהַיְשִׁיר נֶפֶשׁ הַמַּקְרִיב אוֹתוֹ. וְעַל כֵּן לְעוֹרֵר נַפְשׁוֹ שֶׁל מַקְרִיב נִצְטַוָּה בְּהַקְרָבַת דְּבָרִים הַטּוֹבִים וְהָעֲרֵבִים וְהַחֲבִיבִים עָלָיו, וּכְמוֹ שֶׁכָּתַבְנוּ לְמַעְלָה. וְהַמֶּלַח בּוֹ גַּם כֵּן מִן הַשֹּׁרֶשׁ הַזֶּה, כְּדֵי שֶׁתִּהְיֶה אוֹתָהּ פְּעֻלָּה שְׁלֵמָה, לֹא תֶּחְסַר לְפִי הַנְהָגַת הָאָדָם דָּבָר, כִּי אָז יִתְעוֹרֵר לִבּוֹ אֵלָיו יוֹתֵר, כִּי כָּל דָּבָר מִבְּלִי מֶלַח לֹא יֶעֱרַב לְאִישׁ לֹא טַעְמוֹ וְלֹא אַף רֵיחוֹ. וּמִלְּבַד זֶה יֵשׁ בַּמֶּלַח עִנְיָן אַחֵר רוֹמֵז, כִּי הַמֶּלַח מְקַיֵּם כָּל דָּבָר וּמַצִּיל עַל הַהֶפְסֵד וְהָרִקָּבוֹן. וְכֵן בְּמַעֲשֵׂה הַקָּרְבָּן יִנָּצֵל אָדָם מִן הַהֶפְסֵד, וְתִשָּׁמֵר נַפְשׁוֹ וְתִשָּׁאֵר קַיֶּמֶת לָעַד.
We have already said in the commandment of the building of the [Temple] (Sefer HaChinukh 95) that it is from the roots of the commandment of the sacrifice to render fit and straighten the soul of the one who offers it. And therefore in order to arouse the soul of the one who offers, he is commanded [to bring as an] offering things that are good, pleasant and beloved to him — and as we wrote above. And the salt in it is also from this root, so that his action be complete, [that] it not lack anything according to the practice of people; since then will his heart be more aroused. As anything without salt is not pleasant to a person — not its flavor and not even its smell. And besides this, there is another matter hinted to with salt, as salt preserves everything and saves from spoiling and rotting. And so [too,] with the procedure of the sacrifice, a man is saved from loss, preserves his soul and will remain in existence forever.
מִדִּינֵי הַמִּצְוָה. מָה שֶׁאָמְרוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (מנחות כ א) כִּי כָּל הַקָּרְבָּנוֹת נִמְלָחִין קֹדֶם שֶׁיַּעֲלוּ לַמִּזְבֵּחַ. וְאֵין לְךָ דָּבָר שֶׁקָּרֵב לַמִּזְבֵּחַ בְּלֹא מֶלַח חוּץ מִן הַנְּסָכִים וְהַדָּם וְהָעֵצִים, וְדָבָר זֶה קַבָּלָה וְאֵין לוֹ מִקְרָא. וְאִם עָבַר וְהִקְרִיב בְּלֹא מֶלַח הַקָּרְבָּן כָּשֵׁר וְנִרְצָה, חוּץ מִן הַמִּנְחָה שֶׁהַמֶּלַח מְעַכְּבָהּ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בָּהּ בְּפֵרוּשׁ וְלֹא תַשְׁבִּית מֶלַח בְּרִית אֱלֹהֶיךָ מֵעַל מִנְחָתֶךָ. וְיֶתֶר פְּרָטֶיהָ מְבֹאָרִים בַּסִּפְרָא וּבִמְקוֹמוֹת מִמְּנָחוֹת (יח א, כא ב) [הל' איסורי מזבח פ"ד הי"א].
From the laws of the commandment is that which they, may their memory be blessed said (Menachot 20a) that all the sacrifices are salted before they go up to the altar. And you do not have anything that approached the altar without salt, except for the libations, blood and wood. And this thing is a tradition and it does not have a [source in] Scripture. And if he transgressed and sacrificed without salt, the sacrifice is fit and acceptable — except for the meal-offering, [for which] the [lack of] salt invalidates it. As about it is it stated explicitly (Leviticus 2:13), “you shall not omit the salt of your covenant with God from your meal-offering.” And the rest of its details are elucidated in Sifra and in [various] places in Menachot. (See Mishneh Torah, Laws of Things Forbidden on the Altar 5:11.)
וְנוֹהֶגֶת בִּזְמַן הַבַּיִת בְּזִכְרֵי כְּהֻנָּה. וְעוֹבֵר עַל זֶה וְהִקְרִיב מִנְחָה אוֹ קָרְבָּן בְּלֹא מֶלַח בִּטֵּל עֲשֵׂה, וְעוֹד שֶׁהוּא עוֹבֵר עַל לָאו, דִּכְתִיב (שם) וְלֹא תַשְׁבִּית מֶלַח וְגוֹ'.
And [it] is practiced at the time of the [Temple] by the males of the priesthood. And one who transgresses this and offers a meal-offering or sacrifice without salt has violated this positive commandment; and he further violates a negative commandment, as it is written, “you shall not suppress the salt, etc.”