יחזקאל, פרק כ״ג, פסוק ל״ט

The moral and spiritual decay of the nation reaches an extreme low where the boundaries between horrific idolatry and the worship of God completely disappear. The people of Judah become fully devoted to idol worship, yet they continue to visit the Temple as if these actions can coexist peacefully [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. The timing of their actions is deeply disturbing. On the exact same day that the people slaughter their own children for idol worship, they enter God's sanctuary. This behavior is considered the ultimate betrayal. It is compared to an adulterous woman who betrays her husband inside his own home and right in front of his eyes, acting without any shame or fear, provoking the most intense jealousy imaginable [מלבי״ם]. The continuous nature of these acts serves to heavily emphasize the severe gravity of the sins they commit [רד״ק].

The motives behind entering the Temple on such a day present a complex picture. One perspective suggests a complete mental disconnect, where the people act as though there is absolutely no contradiction between murdering their children and worshipping in the sanctuary [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Another perspective argues that their arrival at the Temple is not innocent or confused at all. Instead, it is driven by a specific, malicious intent to openly disgrace and defile the holy place [מצודת דוד].

There are different understandings of how this defilement takes place directly inside the Temple. One approach views the desecration conceptually. Because the people rush straight from the site of the slaughter to the sanctuary, God considers it as if the horrifying murder of their children is committed directly inside His own home [מלבי״ם]. The sheer audacity of carrying the spiritual stain of these deeds into the sanctuary is what creates the defilement [מצודת דוד]. Conversely, another approach interprets the defilement literally, pointing to the physical desecration of the space. According to this view, the people actually bring idolatry inside the Temple walls by drawing images of false gods within the courtyard chambers and burning incense to them right there [רד״ק].