כֹּ֣ל ׀ תְּרוּמֹ֣ת הַקֳּדָשִׁ֗ים אֲשֶׁ֨ר יָרִ֥ימוּ בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵל֮ לַֽיהוָה֒ נָתַ֣תִּֽי לְךָ֗ וּלְבָנֶ֧יךָ וְלִבְנֹתֶ֛יךָ אִתְּךָ֖ לְחָק־עוֹלָ֑ם בְּרִית֩ מֶ֨לַח עוֹלָ֥ם הִוא֙ לִפְנֵ֣י יְהוָ֔ה לְךָ֖ וּלְזַרְעֲךָ֥ אִתָּֽךְ׃
Tous les prélèvements que les Israélites ont à faire sur les choses saintes en l’honneur de l’Éternel, je te les accorde, ainsi qu’à tes fils et à tes filles, comme revenu perpétuel. C’est une alliance de sel, inaltérable, établie de par l’Éternel à ton profit et au profit de ta postérité."
Kedushat Levi
Numbers 18,19. “it is an eternal, salt-like, covenant before Hashem.”
This statement had become necessary after the revolt of Korach, who claimed that all Israelites are entitled to be priests by dint of all of them having stood at Mount Sinai. Korach had considered his status as a Levi, as a demotion. He had not understood that the priests symbolise the attribute of חסד loving kindness, whereas the Levites symbolize the attribute of דין, justice. If both the Levites and the priests had symbolized loving kindness, there would have been no room in the world for the attribute of justice. G’d’s universe can function only when both these attributes perform their respective functions.
Nachmanides, commenting on the significance of מלח, salt, writes that salt is a combination of the raw materials fire and water, i.e. justice and loving kindness. Between them these two “raw materials” are the foundation of our civilisation. This concept had to be brought to the attention not only of the Levites, but to the attention of all the Israelites, so that they would understand that both the role of the Levite and the role of the priest are indispensable to the Jewish nation, and are not to be regarded as part of a pyramid, the priests representing the pinnacle.
This statement had become necessary after the revolt of Korach, who claimed that all Israelites are entitled to be priests by dint of all of them having stood at Mount Sinai. Korach had considered his status as a Levi, as a demotion. He had not understood that the priests symbolise the attribute of חסד loving kindness, whereas the Levites symbolize the attribute of דין, justice. If both the Levites and the priests had symbolized loving kindness, there would have been no room in the world for the attribute of justice. G’d’s universe can function only when both these attributes perform their respective functions.
Nachmanides, commenting on the significance of מלח, salt, writes that salt is a combination of the raw materials fire and water, i.e. justice and loving kindness. Between them these two “raw materials” are the foundation of our civilisation. This concept had to be brought to the attention not only of the Levites, but to the attention of all the Israelites, so that they would understand that both the role of the Levite and the role of the priest are indispensable to the Jewish nation, and are not to be regarded as part of a pyramid, the priests representing the pinnacle.
Likutei Moharan
And sixty towns salted [the remnants] thereof — this hints to repair of the two evil traits, inanimate and vegetable, through his drawing close to the Tzaddik, for the Tzaddik is "a covenant [brit] everlasting like salt” (Num. 18:19) [Brit can refer to the covenant of Abraham, i.e. circumcision, i.e. guarding family purity, which is the characteristic of a Tzaddik]. Also depression and lusts come from foul blood, but through salt one extracts the bad bloods, and "sixty towns" clues to the sixty letters in the Priestly Blessing, which are in the hand of the Tzaddik, as is written (Prov. 10): "Blessings are upon the head of the righteous."