Jesus rebukes the scribes and Pharisees for misplaced priorities: 'You tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law' (Matthew 23:23). Cumin was a small aromatic seed used as seasoning, economically insignificant compared to major crops. The Pharisees' meticulous tithing of garden herbs demonstrated their legal precision but also revealed their inverted values—majoring in minors while ignoring justice and mercy. A classical proverb about splitting cumin seeds described extreme stinginess. Jesus doesn't condemn their tithing; he condemns their neglect of what truly matters.