Hamotzi

Shalom When washing/hamotzi for the meal after a fast do you need to use salt as we do on Shabbat?

Shalom!

Thank you for your question.

First let’s begin with the connection between bread and salt.

One reason for dipping bread into salt before eating it is simply that it should taste good! If your bread tastes good on its own, then there is no true halachic requirement to dip your bread into salt. This is especially true nowadays when all bread already had salt added to the dough. 

However, the Rema adds that it is a Mitzvah to dip the bread into salt even if the bread is already salted since the bread and salt connection is to remind us of the Beit Hamikdash – the Holy Temple. Our tables are meant to be symbolically reminiscent of the altar in the Beit Hamikdash. Just like sacrifices were offered on the altar, so too, the food on our table is meant to be reminiscent of these offerings.

The Torah tells us that all offerings must be accompanied with salt, as the verse states, “You shall not omit the salt…upon your meal offerings. You shall offer salt on all your sacrifices.” Hence, for these symbolic reasons, we dip the bread in salt even if it is otherwise tasty.

The custom of dipping bread into salt applies at all times, not merely on Shabbat and other significant days. As such, those who are particular to do so (and doing so is commendable!) it is to be done at every meal. There are additional kabalistic reason for dipping bread into salt, as well. Even those who do not dip their bread in salt should still have salt on the table.

The custom is to dip the bread into salt, and most people do so three times. One reason for this is that the numerical value of bread, lechem, is 78. When you divide 78 by 3 you get 26 – the numerical value of Hashem’s name.

Talmud, Berachot 40a; Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 167:5 and commentaries