## Sifrei Devarim Paragraph 60

###### Sifrei Devarim 60:1
[Sifrei Devarim 60:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/60:1)

(דברים יב ב) **אַבֵּד תְּאַבְּדוּן אֶת כָּל הַמְּקוֹמוֹת**, מִנַּיִן אַתָּה אוֹמֵר שֶׁאִם קָצַץ אֲשֵׁרָה וְהֶחְלִיפָה אֲפִלּוּ עֶשֶׂר פְּעָמִים, שֶׁחַיָּב לְקָצְצָהּ? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר **אַבֵּד תְּאַבְּדוּן**.

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
(Devarim 12:2) Whence is it derived that if an *asheirah* (a tree devoted to idolatry) were cut down and grew again it must be cut down again — even ten times? From "Destroy shall you destroy."


###### Sifrei Devarim 60:2
[Sifrei Devarim 60:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/60:2)

**אֶת כָּל הַמְּקוֹמוֹת אֲשֶׁר עָבְדוּ שָׁם**, מַגִּיד שֶׁהָיוּ כְּנַעֲנִים שְׁטוּפִים בַּעֲבוֹדָה זָרָה יוֹתֵר מִכָּל אֻמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם.

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
"all the places where the nations worshipped, etc.": Scripture here apprises us that the Canaanites were even more steeped in licentiousness than the Babylonians.


###### Sifrei Devarim 60:3
[Sifrei Devarim 60:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/60:3)

**אֲשֶׁר אַתֶּם יוֹרְשִׁים אוֹתָם אֶת אֱלֹהֵיהֶם**, מִפְּנֵי מָה אַתֶּם יוֹרְשִׁים? – **אֶת אֱלֹהֵיהֶם**! שֶׁלֹּא תַּעֲשׂוּ כְּמַעֲשֵׂיהֶם וְיָבוֹאוּ אֲחֵרִים וְיִירְשׁוּ אֶתְכֶם.

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
"which you inherit": Do not emulate their (evil) ways lest others come and *dis*inherit you.


###### Sifrei Devarim 60:4
[Sifrei Devarim 60:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/60:4)

(ע״ז פ״ג מ״ה) רַבִּי יוֹסֵי הַגְּלִילִי אוֹמֵר: יָכוֹל אֲפִלּוּ עוֹבְדִים אֶת הֶהָרִים וְאֶת הַגְּבָעוֹת אַתְּ מְצֻוֶּה לְאַבְּדָם? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: **עַל הֶהָרִים הָרָמִים וְעַל הַגְּבָעוֹת וְתַחַת כָּל עֵץ רַעֲנָן**, אֱלֹהֵיהֶם תַּחַת כָּל עֵץ רַעֲנָן, וְלֹא עֵץ רַעֲנָן אֱלֹהֵיהֶם; אֱלֹהֵיהֶם עַל הַגְּבָעוֹת, וְלֹא הַגְּבָעוֹת אֱלֹהֵיהֶם. וּמִפְּנֵי מָה אֲשֵׁרָה אֲסוּרָה? מִפְּנֵי שֶׁיֵּשׁ בָּהּ תְּפִיסַת יַד אָדָם, וְכָל שֶׁיֵּשׁ בּוֹ תְּפִיסַת יַד אָדָם אָסוּר. אָמַר רַבִּי עֲקִיבָה: אֲנִי אֶהְיֶה אָבִין לְפָנֶיךָ – כָּל מָקוֹם שֶׁאַתָּה מוֹצֵא הַר גָּבוֹהַּ וְגִבְעָה נִשָּׂאָה וְעֵץ רַעֲנָן, דַּע שֶׁיֵּשׁ שָׁם עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה. לְכָךְ נֶאֱמַר: **עַל הֶהָרִים הָרָמִים וְעַל הַגְּבָעוֹת וְתַחַת כָּל עֵץ רַעֲנָן**.

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
R. Yossi Haglili says: I might think that even if they worshipped the mountains and the hills you were commanded to destroy them; it is, therefore, written "their gods on the high mountains, and on the hills, and under every leafy tree — "their gods *on* the mountains," but the mountains (themselves) are not (considered) their gods. And, likewise, for the hills and for the leafy trees. R. Akiva said: Before you said this, I would expound it before you (as meaning that) wherever you find a high mountain or a hill or a leafy tree know that there is idolatry (i.e., idolatrous images) there (and seek them out to destroy them). This is the intent of "on the high mountains, and on the hills, and under every leafy tree."