Commentaire sur Avoda Zara 3:10
כֵּיצַד מְבַטְּלָהּ. קִרְסֵם, וְזֵרַד, נָטַל מִמֶּנָּה מַקֵּל אוֹ שַׁרְבִיט, אֲפִלּוּ עָלֶה, הֲרֵי זוֹ בְטֵלָה. שְׁפָיָהּ לְצָרְכָּהּ, אֲסוּרָה. שֶׁלֹּא לְצָרְכָּהּ, מֻתֶּרֶת:
Comment [un gentil] peut-il l'annuler [une asheirah]? S'il les cueille [brindilles de l'asheirah, pour les brûler pour ses besoins] ou s'il en coupe [ses feuilles humides], ou s'il en prend un bâton ou un bâton, ou même une feuille, il est annulé. S'il le classe [shefayah (voir Targum [veshafith] sur Devarim 9:21)]—si pour son propre besoin [c'est-à-dire pour l'embellir], il est interdit; sinon, c'est permis. [Et seul un gentil adulte, qui connaît l'idolâtrie et ses dépendances, peut annuler l'idolâtrie. Et même s'il y est contraint, son annulation tient.]
Bartenura on Mishnah Avodah Zarah
כיצד מבטלה – an idolater for a tree used for idolatrous purposes.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Avodah Zarah
How does one annul [an asherah]? If [a pagan] pruned or trimmed it, removing from it a stick or twig or even a leaf, behold it is annulled.
If he smoothed it out for its own sake, it is prohibited; but if not for its own sake, it is permitted.
Our mishnah asks how does one annul an asherah in order to make it permitted for Jews to use.
As we will learn in the next chapter of mishnah, a pagan can “annul” his idol by stopping to treat it as such. If he does so, what was formerly an idol reverts to being a normal object and a Jew may use it. Our mishnah teaches that removing a piece of an asherah tree is a sign that it is no longer being worshipped. Evidently the asherah was not used by the pagan for anything but idol worship. If the pagan does make even the most minimal use of the tree, such as using its leaf, it loses its status as an asherah. The only exception to this case is if he removes something from the tree for its own sake. In other words, if he smoothed the tree to make it look better, it is still an asherah and it is still forbidden. If he did so in order to get a branch, he has annulled its status as an asherah and it is permitted.
If he smoothed it out for its own sake, it is prohibited; but if not for its own sake, it is permitted.
Our mishnah asks how does one annul an asherah in order to make it permitted for Jews to use.
As we will learn in the next chapter of mishnah, a pagan can “annul” his idol by stopping to treat it as such. If he does so, what was formerly an idol reverts to being a normal object and a Jew may use it. Our mishnah teaches that removing a piece of an asherah tree is a sign that it is no longer being worshipped. Evidently the asherah was not used by the pagan for anything but idol worship. If the pagan does make even the most minimal use of the tree, such as using its leaf, it loses its status as an asherah. The only exception to this case is if he removes something from the tree for its own sake. In other words, if he smoothed the tree to make it look better, it is still an asherah and it is still forbidden. If he did so in order to get a branch, he has annulled its status as an asherah and it is permitted.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Avodah Zarah
קרסם – dry chips that are on the tree, he took for his needs to burn.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Avodah Zarah
ורד – cut moist branches tht are on it.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Avodah Zarah
שפאה – it is the Aramaic translation of (Deuteronomy 9:21): “I broke it to bits and ground it thoroughly,” and you crushed it well.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Avodah Zarah
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.
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