[א] או אומר כל קורבנך…תקריב מלח, יכול אף על העצים אף על הדם… תלמוד לומר "קרבן מנחתך" – מה קרבן מנחתך – דבר שאחרים באים חובה לו, יצאו העצים והדם שאין אחרים באים חובה להן. 1) (Vayikra 2:13): ("And every offering of your meal-offering you shall salt with salt"): If it were merely stated: "And every offering you shall offer with salt," I might think that even wood and blood, (which are referred to as "offerings") required salt. It is, therefore, written "offering of your meal-offering." Just as the offering of your meal-offering requires a supplement (i.e., wood), all (offerings) that are so characterized (require salt) — as opposed to wood and blood, which do not require a supplement.
[ב] אי מה "קרבן מנחתך" דבר שהוא מתיר, אף אני אביא את הדם שהוא מתיר… תלמוד לומר "מעל מנחתך" – לא מעל דמך. אי "מעל מנחתך" יכול תהיה מנחה כולה טעונה מלח? תלמוד לומר "קרבן" – הקומץ טעון מלח ואין מנחה כולה טעונה מלח. 2) — But (why not say): Just as the "offering of your meal-offering" (i.e., the fistful) is something that permits, (in this instance, the remainder of the meal-offering), so, blood, which permits (the devoted portions to the altar and the flesh to the Cohanim, should require salt!) It is, therefore, written (to negate this [Vayikra 2:13]): ("And you shall not cut off the salt of the covenant of your G d) from your meal-offering" — not "from your blood." If "from your meal-offering" alone were written, I would think that the entire meal-offering required salt. It is, therefore, written "offering." The fistful (i.e., the part that is offered) requires salt, but the entire meal-offering does not require salt.
[ג] אין לי אלא הקומץ; מנין לרבות את הלבונה? תלמוד לומר "על כל קרבנך תקריב מלח". ארבה את הלבונה הבאה עם המנחה; מנין לבונה הבאה בפני עצמה ולבונה הבאה עם לחם הפנים ואמורי חטאת ואמורי אשם ואמורי קדשי קדשים ואמורי קדשים קלים; מנחת כהנים ומנחת כהן משיח ומנחת נסכים ואיברי עולה ועולת העוף מנין? תלמוד לומר "וכל קרבן." 3) This tells me only of the fistful, (as requiring salt). Whence would I derive the frankincense (as requiring salt)? I would include the frankincense, which comes together with the meal-offering (in the same vessel and is thus subsumed in "offering of your meal-offering" as requiring salt.) Whence would I derive it for frankincense that comes by itself, and frankincense which comes with the show bread (in two censers), and the incense, and the devoted portions of a sin-offering, and of higher-order offerings, (the Atzereth lambs), and of lower-order offerings, and the (gift) meal-offerings of Cohanim, (which are entirely burnt), and the meal-offering of the high-priest, and the libation meal-offerings, and the limbs of burnt-offerings, and a burnt-offering of fowl — Whence would I derive these (as requiring salt)? From (Vayikra 2:13): "With all of your offerings (shall you offer salt.")
[ד] ר' ישמעאל בנו של ר' יוחנן בן ברוקה אומר: ומה "קרבן מנחתך" דבר שיש בו טומאה ועולה לאשים על מזבח החיצון – יצאו העצים שאין בהם טומאה, יצא דם שאינו עולה לאשים, יצא הקטורת שאינו על מזבח החיצון. "במלח" – יכול תבונהו? תלמוד לומר "תמלח". אי "תמלח" יכול במי מלח? תלמוד לומר "במלח". "לא תשבית מלח" – הבא מלח שאינה שובתת; ואיזו זו? מלח סדומית. ומנין אם לא מצא סדומית יביא אסתרוקנית? תלמוד לומר 'תקריב מלח' – ריבה. יכול המתנדב מנחה מביא עמה מלח כדרך שהוא מביא לבונה מתוך ביתו? ודין הוא! נאמר "הבא מנחה והבא לבונה" "הבא מנחה והבא מלח": מה לבונה – משל בעל המנחה, אף מלח – משל בעל המנחה! 4) R. Yishmael, the son of R. Yochanan b. Broka, says: Just as the "offering of your meal-offering," which is susceptible of defilement (tumah) and is burnt on the outer altar (requires salt, so do all others of this kind) — to exclude wood, which is not susceptible of defilement; to exclude blood and wine, which are not burnt; to exclude the incense, which is not burnt on the outer altar. If "with salt" alone were stated, I might think that a "hint" of salt were sufficient; it is, therefore, written: "you shall salt." If "you shall salt" alone were stated, I might think that salt water, too, was permissible; it is, therefore, written: "with salt." (Vayikra 2:13): "You shall not cut off salt": salt that is never "cut off" (from nature, as opposed to fabricated salt). Which salt is that? Sodom salt. And whence is it derived that if he cannot find Sodom salt he may bring Astrakhan salt (of an inferior grade)? From (Vayikra 2:13): "you shall offer salt" — whatever the quality. I might think that one who donated a meal-offering brought salt along with it — just as he brings frankincense — from his home. And it would follow that he did so, viz.: It is written that a meal-offering is brought and that frankincense is brought; that a meal-offering is brought and that salt is brought. Just as the frankincense is brought by the donor of the meal-offering, so, the salt.
[ה] או כלך לדרך זו: נאמר "הבא מנחה והבא עצים" "הבא מנחה והבא מלח": מה עצים – משל ציבור, אף המלח – משל ציבור! 5) — Or, perhaps we should go in the other direction, viz.: It is written that a meal-offering is brought and that wood is brought; that a meal-offering is brought and that salt is brought. Just as the wood is provided communally, so, the salt!
[ו] נראה למי דומה: דנין דבר שהוא קרב עם כל הזבחים מדבר שהוא קרב עם כל הזבחים, ואל תוכיח לבונה שאינה קריבה עם כל הזבחים! או כלך לדרך זו: דנים דבר שהוא קרב עם מנחה עצמה מדבר שהוא קרב עם מנחה עצמה, ואל יוכיחו עצים שאינם קרבים עם מנחה עצמה! תלמוד לומר "ולא תשבית מלח ברית אלהיך מעל מנחתך" ולהלן הוא אומר (ויקרא כד, ח) "מאת בני ישראל ברית עולם" – מה "ברית" אמורה להלן – משל ציבור, אף כאן – משל ציבור. 6) Let us see which is (salt) is most like. We derive something (salt) which is offered with all sacrifices from something (wood) which is offered with all sacrifices — and this is not to be refuted by frankincense, which is not offered with all sacrifices — Or, go in this direction: We derive something (salt), which is offered with the meal-offering (the fistful). Itself, from something (frankincense), which is offered with the meal-offering itself (in one vessel) — and this is not to be refuted by wood, which is not offered with the meal-offering itself. It is, therefore, written: "And you shall not cut off the salt of the covenant of your G d from your meal-offering," and, elsewhere, (in reference to the show bread), (Ibid. 24:8): "from the children of Israel, an everlasting covenant." Just as there, the salt is provided communally, so, here.
[ז] "תקריב" – אף בשבת; "תקריב" – אף בטומאה. "תקריב מלח" – כל שהוא, "תקריב מלח" – מכל מקום. 7) (Vayikra 2:13): ("With all your offerings) you shall offer salt": "you shall offer" (salt, in a communal offering) — even on the Sabbath; "you shall offer" — even in a state of uncleanliness; "you shall offer salt" — any kind (both Sodom salt and Astrakhan salt); "you shall offer salt" — from any place, (even from outside Eretz Yisrael).