Mishnayos Avodah Zarah Perek 3 Mishnah 10
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עבודה זרה פרק ג׳ משנה י׳
How does one revoke the idolatrous status of an ashera? If a gentile trimmed dry wood or pruned green wood from the tree for his own benefit, or if he removed from it a stick, or a rod, or even a leaf, he has thereby revoked its idolatrous status, as he has proven that he no longer worships it. If a gentile shaved down the tree for its own sake, to improve its appearance, it remains prohibited to derive benefit from it. If he shaved it down not for its own sake, it is permitted.
כֵּיצַד מְבַטְּלָהּ. קִרְסֵם, וְזֵרַד, נָטַל מִמֶּנָּה מַקֵּל אוֹ שַׁרְבִיט, אֲפִלּוּ עָלֶה, הֲרֵי זוֹ בְטֵלָה. שְׁפָיָהּ לְצָרְכָּהּ, אֲסוּרָה. שֶׁלֹּא לְצָרְכָּהּ, מֻתֶּרֶת:
Bartenura
כיצד מבטלה. נכרי לאשרה:
קרסם. קסמים יבשים שבאילן נטלן לצרכו לשרוף:
וזרד.כרת ענפים לחים שבה:
שפאה. תרגום ואכות אותו טחון (דברים ט׳:כ״א), ושפית יתיה:
לצורכה. כדי ליפותה. ואין מבטל ע״ז אלא נכרי גדול ובן דעת שידע בטיב ע״ז ומשמשיה. ואפילו אם בטלה בעל כרחו הרי זו מבוטלת:
כיצד מבטלה – an idolater for a tree used for idolatrous purposes.
קרסם – dry chips that are on the tree, he took for his needs to burn.
ורד – cut moist branches tht are on it.
שפאה – it is the Aramaic translation of (Deuteronomy 9:21): “I broke it to bits and ground it thoroughly,” and you crushed it well.
לצורכה – in order to beautify it, and not to disannul idolatry but rather to worship idolatry as an adult and with knowledge for he knew the nature of idolatry and those who use it, and even if he disannulled it against his will, it is annulled.