Is it permissible to eat a hard-boiled egg without salt?
Question
Hello, esteemed rabbi. My wife claims that they grew up in a family tradition where they eat a hard-boiled egg with salt and it's forbidden to eat it without salt. I wanted to know if there is any mention of this anywhere. And a second question: can a mourner eat an egg without salt?
Answer
Hello,
1. One may eat an egg however they wish, with or without salt. However, it should be noted that the Gemara in Mesechet Horayot (13b) states that one of the five things that restore one's learning is someone who eats an egg rolled without salt. And see Rashi in Mesechet Berachot (44b, s.v. megulgeleta) that an egg rolled refers to a moist and soft roasted egg that is burned.
2. We console the mourner with eggs (Shulchan Aruch Yoreh Deah 378:9), and it is not specifically mentioned that it must be without salt.
Best regards,
Hillel Meirs
