מלאכי, פרק א׳, פסוק י״ב

While the surrounding nations show reverence for God, the Israelites behave in the exact opposite manner, actively profaning His holiness. This disrespect goes beyond mere actions; it is a blatant contempt for the altar, which serves as God's table, and the sacrifices placed upon it. The harsh rebuke is primarily aimed at the priests who manage the service. However, the accusation also extends to the everyday people who bring flawed and defective animals for their offerings [אברבנאל].

The people and the priests express open disgust toward the altar, viewing it as dirty and vile. This feeling of repulsion stems from the physical reality of the sacrificial service. Because blood and animal fats are consistently thrown upon the altar, those involved develop a natural human aversion to the mess [מצודת דוד, צאינה וראינה, אברבנאל]. Driven by this underlying disgust, they treat the entire process cheaply and feel entirely justified in offering damaged animals.

Their contempt ultimately extends to the food of the altar itself. Commentators offer two ways to understand how this disdain is expressed. One approach suggests it reflects their everyday speech; the casual, regular conversation among the priests and the people is filled with complaints that the altar's food is repulsive and despised [רש״י, מצודת דוד, מצודת ציון, רד״ק, אברבנאל]. Another perspective views this not as a matter of speech, but as a reference to the altar's produce. Just as a field yields crops, the altar yields sacrifices, and it is this very produce that they treat with scorn [אבן עזרא, רד״ק, ביאור שטיינזלץ, מלבי״ם].

While some scholars read these descriptions of disdain as a simple repetition meant to emphasize the depth of their disrespect [מצודת דוד, אבן עזרא], others see a progression of two distinct stages of contempt [מלבי״ם]. In the first stage, the people express disgust for the portions burned directly for God, such as the blood and fat, viewing them as nothing more than a dirty mess. In the second stage, their scorn shifts to the holy meat designated for the priests and the people to eat. They despise this sacred food as well, viewing it as an inferior, low-quality meal.