Definition: And every oblation of thy meat offering shalt thou season with salt; neither shalt thou suffer the salt of the covenant of thy God to be lacking from thy meat offering: with all thine offerings thou shalt offer salt.
Explanation: Okay, let’s break down this verse from Leviticus 2:13. It’s a really important rule about how food should be prepared and offered in the Jewish community. Here’s what it means in plain language: Essentially, this verse tells us that meat offerings must always have salt. Let's unpack that a bit further: “And every oblation of thy meat offering shalt thou season with salt…” – This means you always need to add salt to your meat offerings. It’s like adding seasoning to food. “…neither shalt thou suffer the salt of the covenant of thy God to be lacking from thy meat offering:” – This is where it gets a little more complex, but the core idea is: “Do not run out of salt.” The "covenant of your God" refers to a special agreement made with God. This salt represents something important and sacred. The verse warns you not to run out of this salt. “with all thine offerings thou shalt offer salt.” – This is the final, crucial part. It means that every time you make a meat offering, you must add salt. It's a requirement for keeping the covenant holy and ensuring it remains strong. In short, this verse emphasizes the importance of purity and holiness in your religious practices, particularly when it comes to food offerings. Why is this important? Jewish tradition believed that salt held symbolic significance – it represented God’s presence and protection. By always adding salt, they hoped to keep the offering pure and avoid any contamination or offense. Does this verse have a big impact on modern Jewish life? Absolutely! It's still a very important rule today in Orthodox Judaism, and it emphasizes careful preparation and reverence in religious rituals. Do you want me to: Explain another verse from Leviticus? Talk about the historical context of this law? Or maybe you have a specific question about the meaning or application of this verse?