Challah and salt on shabbos

Hi Rav, why do we dip challah in salt?

Shalom!

Thank you for your question.

As you correctly note, one should dip one’s bread into salt before eating it. One of the main reasons for this is to recall that in the absence of the Beit Hamikdash and an altar upon which to bring offerings to Hashem, the table serves as our altar and our food is compared to an offering. One was required to accompany all offerings with salt. The idea of dipping bread in salt is not just relevant on Shabbat as you mention “challa”) but it is something that should be done at every meal.

The most popular custom is to dip the bread into salt three times which is based on Kabbala. It is also noted that the word for salt, melach, has the numerical value of 78, which is the same numerical value as G-d’s name when multiplied by three (26 x 3 = 78).

Another reason we dip bread into salt is because bread represents mercy and salt represents judgment. By dipping bread into salt we are, in effect, symbolizing the superiority of mercy over judgment. One should have the salt on the table before one washes one's hands.

There is a lesser-known custom that some people have, and that is to not dip the bread into salt on Friday nights. This is in order to recall that no offerings were ever brought at that time. But unless one has such a custom one should be sure to dip one’s bread in salt even on a Friday nights. The custom of sprinkling salt on to bread rather than dipping the bread into salt has little basis and is even explicitly discouraged by some authorities.

Vayikra 2:13; Rema, OC 167:5; Mishna Berura 167:33, Kaf Hachaim, OC 167:37.