Comentario sobre Exodo 30:35

ממלח TEMPERED TOGETHER — Understand this as the Targum renders it: מעורב, mixed — that they should thoroughly intermix the powder of the ingredients. I think that similar in meaning to it are the nouns in (Jona 1:5) “Then the mariners (המלחים) were afraid”; (Ezekiel 27:27) “thy mariners (מלחיך) and thy pilots”, who are so called because they turn over (stir up) the water with oars when they propel the ship — like a person who stirs up beaten eggs with a spoon in order to mix them with water. Anything that a person wishes to mix up thoroughly he stirs up with his finger or with a spoon.

MEMULACH’ (SEASONED WITH SALT), PURE AND HOLY. This means that it be seasoned with salt of Sodom, just as the Rabbis have said:¹⁶⁴Kerithoth 6a. “Of salt of Sodom, the fourth part of a kab.” Onkelos translated [memulach as] m’areiv (mixed together). By this he intended to say that memulach means “rubbed out” — that the ingredients should all be so well-ground and mixed so thoroughly together, that their identity is “rubbed out” and none of the [individual] ingredients can be recognized. This is of the expression: For the heavens ‘nimlochu’ (shall vanish away) like smoke.¹⁹¹Isaiah 51:6. Similarly: ‘u’vloyei m’lachim’ (and worn rags);¹⁹²Jeremiah 38:11. A fruitful land ‘limleichah’ (into a salt waste).¹⁹³Psalms 107:34. These are all expressions of destruction and annihilation.
And Rashi explained that the term memluach means that it be thoroughly mixed together in the grinding of the ingredients one with another. To this interpretation Rashi brought proof from the verse similar in meaning: ‘malachayich’ (thy mariners) and thy pilots,¹⁹⁴Ezekiel 27:27. who are so called “because they turn over the water with the oars when they propel the ship, like a person who stirs up beaten eggs with a spoon in order to mix them thoroughly.”
In my opinion mariners are called malachim [of the root melach — salt] because they know the “taste” of the sea, as if they could feel if it is “salty” or “sweet;” that is to say, they know when it will be sweet and pleasant for those travelling by sea, and when it will be bad and bitter for them. It is not those who hold the oars [propelling the ship] who are called malachim [as Rashi said], for it is written on Tyre, The inhabitants of Sidon and Arvad were thy ‘shotim’ (rowers);¹⁹⁵Ibid., Verse 8. The elders of Gebal and the wise men thereof were in thee thy calkers; all the ships of the sea ‘u’malacheyhem’ (and their mariners) were in thee.¹⁹⁶Ibid., Verse 9. For it is the older captains who know the sea that are called malachim. And it is further written, And all that handle the oar, ‘malachim’ (the mariners), and all the pilots of the sea, shall come down from their ships, they shall stand upon the land.¹⁹⁷Ibid., Verse 29. Thus three categories are mentioned: those that handle the oar, the mariners, and the pilots [which proves that malachim — the mariners — are not those that handle the oar].
Similarly, a fruitful land ‘limleichah’¹⁹³Psalms 107:34. means “to a salt land,” for in a salt land nothing will grow, just as is written of Sodom, The whole land thereof is brimstone, and salt, and a burning, that it is not sown, nor beareth,¹⁹⁸Deuteronomy 29:22. and it is further written, and he sowed it with salt.¹⁹⁹Judges 9:45. It is possible that the letter lamed is redundant in the verse, for the heavens ‘nimlochu’ like smoke,¹⁹¹Isaiah 51:6. the intent thereof being as in the word nimchu (erased), which would make it similar to these cases: ba’l'umim;²⁰⁰Psalms 44:15. The structure of the word is ba’umim (among the nations). wholly ‘shalanan’ (at ease) and quiet.²⁰¹Job 21:23. The structure of the word is shanon (ease).

רקח, each of whom would collect different spices and after mixing them all they would become

ממלח טהור קדוש. Salted, pure, holy. It appears that the meaning of "pure" refers to colours. The incense was to be of a uniform colour throughout. Seeing that it consisted of many different spices and a quantity sufficient for 368 portions of it was prepared at one time, it would most likely have had a mottled appearance unless the Torah had directed that it should be mixed in such a way that its spices would merge into a single uniform colour. Even though it possessed a uniform colour after having been thoroughly mixed, if someone examined it carefully he would notice that the uniformity was not due to all of its components being of the same colour. Such uniformity would not qualify for the definition "pure." The words: "salted, pure" mean therefore that it was to be so finely ground that even upon visual examination from close quarters its colour would appear to be uniform. This required expertise on the part of the people who pounded it into small particles.

ממולח, thoroughly mixed. The word may reflect the word מלחים, sailors, oarsmen, as these mix and stir the waters which they row.

ממולח, “thoroughly mixed;” Rashi understands the word ממולח, as thoroughly mixed, whereas Nachmanides sees in the word its original meaning, i.e. “salted,” and the Torah would instruct that just as meat offerings have to be salted so even the incense has to be salted. This is why the Talmud referred to the quarter kav of salt from the Dead Sea, which was part of the mixture.

Thoroughly blended shall it be. . . Rashi is answering the question: How does “Make it into. . .” apply to “pure and holy”? Something becomes pure and holy [not by what we do to it, but] by the absence of making impure and secular use of it. Thus Rashi explains: “Thoroughly blended shall it be, pure shall it be, and holy shall it be.” I.e., it shall be thoroughly blended by our making it so. But it shall be pure and holy on its own accord.

V. 35. ממלח. Wir haben schon bemerkt, daß es von einigen auf den Zusatz von מלח סדומית bezogen wird. Allgemeiner wird es jedoch auf die Bereitungsart bezogen, wofür auch der Zusammenhang und die Form מְמֻלּח spricht. Hieße es gesalzen, so würde es eine so starke Beizung fordern, welcher das Quantum 1/4 Kab im Verhältnis zur Masse der übrigen Stoffe schwerlich entsprechen könnte. Die Schwere des sodomitischen Salzes im Verhältnis zu Wasser einmal wie 3 zu 1 angenommen, würde 1/4 Kab=1 Log=4/4 Log, nach der Maimonides הל׳ עירובין I, 12 und כלי המקדש II, 3 gegebenen Berechnung, sich zu der ganzen übrigen Masse des קטרת verhalten, wie 210 zu 36800. 1 רביעית Wasser wiegt 171/2 לוג 1 ,דינר sodomitisches Salz nach obiger Annahme somit 12 x 17 1/2=210 דינר, die elf Spezereistoffe des קטרת wogen zusammen 368 Mena, die Mena zu 100=36.800 דינר. Schwerlich dürfte aber durch den Zusatz von 1/175 Salz eine Masse מְמֻלָח werden. Wir haben aber bereits an einem anderen Orte aus der Lautverwandtschaft מלה und מלא die Grundbedeutung von מלח als innigste Durchdringung, als eine solche Durchdringung vermutet, durch welche ein Stoff in allen seinen Teilen von einem anderen "voll" wird, woher dann die Bedeutung: Salz durch den Begriff entstünde. Demgemäß könnte dann auch hierמַלֵחַ die innigste Durchdringung, die vollkommenste Mischung bezeichnen. Die Stoffe sollen zuerst jeder gesondert, völlig fein zerrieben und dann מְמֻלָח, zur vollkommensten Durchdringung mit einander gemischt werden. So auch Onkelos: מערב.

ממולח, “seasoned with salt;” compare Ezekiel 16,4: והמלח לא הומלחת, “and you had not been rubbed with salt.” Compare also Ezra 4,14: די מלח היכלא מלחנא, “seeing that we have eaten from the salt of the palace, etc.” [i.e. the king has fed us generously. Ed.]

ממלח טהור קדש TEMPERED TOGETHER, PURE AND HOLY — i. e. tempered together shall it (the compound) be, pure shall it be, and holy shall it be.

מעשה רוקח, crushed, mixed, etc., a druggist’s handiwork. These various spices did not undergo uniform treatment at the hands of the spicer, druggist..

ממולח, thoroughly mixed, none of its ingredients remaining identifiable as separate substances.

טהור. refined to such a degree that it did not contain any foreign substances. The reason why this was of the essence was the fact that the burning up of the incense consisted of burning up the actual spices, derivatives or auxiliaries not being a part of that sacrifice at all. However, with the oil of anointing these extreme precautions did not apply seeing that it was in the nature of the ingredients that auxiliary components were not mixed with it or attached to it before the oil became refined.