ספר במדבר

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.‎