ויקרא, פרק כ״ב, פסוק כ״ב

Offerings presented to God must be entirely whole and physically flawless. Any bodily defect permanently disqualifies an animal from being dedicated or used in the altar service. Among the disqualifying blemishes is blindness. Some commentators explain that the Torah refers to the defect of blindness itself, rather than describing the animal, because blindness is not a missing physical limb but a profound absence of sight [רש"י, מזרחי, שפתי חכמים, בכור שור, גור אריה]. Conversely, another approach understands this as a description of the eye itself. Accordingly, an animal is disqualified even if it suffers from only partial vision loss or blindness in just one eye [אבן עזרא, שד"ל, מלבי"ם, תורה תמימה, משכיל לדוד]. This disqualification applies equally whether the animal was born blind [העמק דבר] or lost its sight later in life.

Physical fractures, such as a broken rib or tail, also render an animal unfit [תורה תמימה, חזקוני]. This primarily applies when the broken bone is located in a visible part of the body [רש"י, שפתי חכמים, רלב"ג, חזקוני]. Similarly, an animal is invalidated if a limb is deeply cracked, cut, or damaged [רש"י, אבן עזרא, חזקוני, רד"צ הופמן]. This refers specifically to cracks in areas like the eyelids, lips, or nose [מזרחי, תורה תמימה, מלבי"ם]. To be considered a disqualifying blemish, the crack must penetrate deeply into the bone or cartilage, rather than being a superficial cut in the flesh [תורה תמימה, רלב"ג]. Warts and hard fleshy growths also present a problem [רש"י, ריב"א, הכתב והקבלה]. However, because ordinary skin warts are common and generally not considered severe defects, commentators specify that the prohibition refers to more significant growths. This includes a wart that develops inside the eye [תורה תמימה, מלבי"ם, רד"צ הופמן], a wart sprouting hair [רלב"ג], or a piece of dangling flesh that will eventually fall off [הכתב והקבלה]. Additionally, severe, incurable skin diseases that cause painful lesions permanently disqualify the animal [רש"י, מזרחי, ביאור שטיינזלץ].

The Torah issues multiple warnings regarding these flawed animals to emphasize that the prohibition applies to every stage of the sacrificial process, including dedication, slaughter, and the sprinkling of blood [רש"י, מזרחי, גור אריה]. The primary focus of the restriction here is the actual slaughtering of a blemished animal [תורה תמימה, חזקוני, אדרת אליהו, מלבי"ם]. The specific singling out of these physical defects clarifies that while a bodily blemish disqualifies an animal, merely using the animal for ordinary labor does not invalidate it for the altar, unlike the strict rules governing the red heifer or the decapitated calf [תורה תמימה, מלבי"ם, אדרת אליהו].

A distinct warning is given against burning any limbs or fats of a blemished animal on the altar fire [רש"י, אדרת אליהו]. One might mistakenly assume that for a peace offering, where the owners consume the majority of the meat, a minor blemish is insignificant. Therefore, it is emphasized that the portions consumed by the altar fire in honor of God must remain absolutely flawless [שד"ל]. This strict standard applies even if the blemish is only discovered after the animal has been skinned [העמק דבר]. Furthermore, a transgression occurs even if only a small fraction of the blemished animal is burned [תורה תמימה, מלבי"ם, צפנת פענח, אדרת אליהו]. The prohibition extends to sprinkling the blood of a defective animal upon the altar [תורה תמימה, מלבי"ם, אדרת אליהו]. Finally, the standard of absolute physical perfection is not limited to standard altar offerings; it equally applies to the scapegoat sent away on the Day of Atonement, which must also be completely free of any defect [תורה תמימה, מלבי"ם, אדרת אליהו].