Avodah Zarah, Daf Mem Heh, Part 5

 

Introduction

At the end of yesterday s sugya we learned that the rabbis do not use the verse and hew down their asherim to prohibit a tree planted and then worshipped. So, our sugya asks, what do they do with this verse?

 

ורבנן האי ואשריהם תגדעון מאי עבדי ליה? לכדר’ יהושע בן לוי דא"ר יהושע בן לוי גידועי עבודת כוכבים קודמין לכיבוש ארץ ישראל כיבוש ארץ ישראל קודם לביעור עבודת כוכבים דתני רב יוסף (דברים יב, ג) ונתצתם את מזבחותם והנח ושברתם את מצבותם והנח והנח ס"ד שריפה בעי אמר רב הונא רדוף ואח"כ שרוף

 

And this phrase, and hew down their asherim, what do the rabbis do with it?

[They explain it] according to the view of R. Joshua b. Levi; for R. Joshua b. Levi said: The cutting down of idolatrous trees takes precedence over the conquest of the land of Israel, but the conquest of the land of Israel takes precedence over the destruction of idolatry. For R. Joseph taught: You shall tear down their altars and leave them, and dash in pieces their pillars and leave them (Deuteronomy 12:3). Can it enter your mind that they are to be left? They must be burned! R. Huna said: [The meaning is,] Pursue and then burn them [afterwards].

 

The rabbis understand that Deuteronomy 7:5 mandates cutting down the idolatrous trees as soon as the Israelites enter the land. They then are supposed to go conquer the land and only afterwards are they mandated to destroy the idols. This is also learned from Deuteronomy 12:3. The verse says to tear down their altars and dash in pieces their pillars. It does not mandate destroying them utterly. But we know that such destruction must be done. The answer is that at first they are torn down. Only later are they to be utterly destroyed.

 

ור’ יוסי בר’ יהודה האי סברא מנא ליה נפקא ליה (דברים יב, ב) מאבד תאבדון אבד ואח"כ תאבדון

 

And R. Yose son of R. Yehudah, how does he derive this rule? He derives it from, You shall surely destroy destroy and then destroy.

 

R. Yose son of R. Yehudah derives this two stage process of destruction from the repetition of the verb destroy.

ורבנן הא מיבעי ליה לעוקר עבודת כוכבים שצריך לשרש אחריה

 

And the rabbis? They require [this verse] for the rule that when one destroys an idol he must eradicate every trace of it.

 

The rabbis used the doubling of the verb as a source for the mandate to destroy every trace of an idol. One must really destroy it.