Why We Dip the Bread in Salt During the HaMotzi Ritual

This responsum from Chabad.org discusses the origins of dipping bread into salt before eating it as part of the HaMotzi ritual. Rabbi Yehuda Shurpin, a writer for the websites ‘Ask the Rabbi’ column, provides both technical halachic explanations for the custom, as well as the Kabbalistic (Jewish mystical) meanings behind it. This article is helpful for anyone seeking more insight into the meaning behind the details of the HaMotzi ritual. Although it specifically addresses HaMotzi on Shabbat, dipping bread into salt is considered an integral part of the HaMotzi ritual during the week as well.