מלאכי ב׳:י׳-י״ב

לְחַלֵּל בְּרִית אֲבֹתֵינוּ. בְּרִית שֶׁכָּרַת הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא עִם אֲבוֹתֵינוּ בְּסִינַי.

to profane the covenant of our forefathers The covenant that the Holy One, blessed be He, formed with our forefathers at Sinai.

כִּי חִלֵּל יְהוּדָה. אֶת עַצְמוֹ, שֶׁהָיָה קֹדֶשׁ לַה׳, ״רֵאשִׁית תְּבוּאָתוֹ״ (ירמיהו ב:ג).

for Judah has profaned himself, who was the holy one of the Lord, the first of His grain.

וּבָעַל בַּת אֵל נֵכָר. שֶׁנָּשְׂאוּ נָשִׁים נָכְרִיּוֹת בְּבָבֶל, וַאֲפִלּוּ הַכֹּהֲנִים, כְּמוֹ שֶׁמְּפֹרָשׁ בְּסֵפֶר (עזרא ט). וְרַבּוֹתֵינוּ אָמְרוּ: מַלְאָכִי זֶה עֶזְרָא.

and married the daughter of a foreign god that they married gentile women in Babylon, and even the priests, as is delineated in the Book of Ezra (chap. 9 and 10). Our Sages said that Malachi is Ezra.

עֵר וְעֹנֶה. עֵר בַּתַּלְמִידִים, וְעֹנֶה בַּחֲכָמִים. ״עֵר״ – לְשׁוֹן ׳אָדָם חָרִיף׳.

one of acuity or erudition An ingenious one among the students, and one who can answer among the sages. עֵר An expression of an ingenious person.

וּמַגִּישׁ מִנְחָה. וְאִם כֹּהֵן הוּא, לֹא יִהְיֶה לוֹ בֵּן מַגִּישׁ מִנְחָה.

and one who offers up an offering And if he is a priest, he will not have a son who offers up an offering.