יחזקאל, פרק כ״ב, פסוק ח׳

A severe prophetic rebuke targets the city of Jerusalem [ביאור שטיינזלץ], exposing a deep fracture in how its people relate to different dimensions of holiness. While earlier warnings addressed the violation of human holiness—seen in the poor treatment of parents and leaders—the focus now shifts to the corruption of sacred space and sacred time [מלבי״ם].

The desecration of sacred space centers on the Temple and the offerings brought within its walls [מלבי״ם]. Instead of honoring God, the people showed blatant contempt by offering animals that were stolen, sick, or physically blemished [רד״ק, צאינה וראינה]. This behavior stood in direct opposition to the Torah's requirement that offerings must be brought in a proper and respectful manner so that they may be willingly accepted by God [רש״י].

Alongside the abuse of sacred space, the people also violated the holiness of time, specifically the Sabbaths and festival days [מלבי״ם]. To desecrate these days means to strip them of their sanctity, reducing them to the mundane and ordinary, which represents the absolute opposite of true holiness [מצודת ציון]. This disregard for the Sabbath was a widespread failure during that era, an ongoing sin that the prophet Jeremiah had already warned the people to abandon [רד״ק].