## Sifrei Devarim Paragraph 61

###### Sifrei Devarim 61:1
[Sifrei Devarim 61:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/61:1)

(דברים יב ג) **וְנִתַּצְתֶּם אֶת מִזְבְּחֹתָם** – זוֹ אֶבֶן שֶׁחֲצָבָהּ מִתְּחִלָּה לַעֲבוֹדָה זָרָה,

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
**Pisqa’ 61**²⁸
1. “You shall tear down their *altars*” (Dt. 12:3)—
this refers to a stone mined
originally to serve a foreign cult.

footnotes:
²⁸ H:116-117;JN1:189-190.


###### Sifrei Devarim 61:2
[Sifrei Devarim 61:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/61:2)

**וְשִׁבַּרְתֶּם אֶת מַצֵּבֹתָם** – זוֹ שֶׁהָיְתָה חֲצוּבָה וַעֲבָדָהּ.

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
“And smash their *pillars*” (Dt. 12:3)—
this refers to those first mined innocently,
and later worshipped.


###### Sifrei Devarim 61:3
[Sifrei Devarim 61:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/61:3)

**וַאֲשֵׁרֵיהֶם תִּשְׂרְפוּן בָּאֵשׁ** – זוֹ אֲשֵׁירָה שֶׁנַּעֲשֵׂית מִתְּחִלָּה לַעֲבוֹדָה זָרָה,

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
“And their Ashera-trees you shall burn with fire” (Dt. 12:3)—
this refers to an Ashera-tree which is planted
originally to serve a foreign cult.


###### Sifrei Devarim 61:4
[Sifrei Devarim 61:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/61:4)

**וּפְסִילֵי אֱלֹהֵיהֶם תְּגַדֵּעוּן** – זוֹ שֶׁהָיְתָה נְטוּעָה וַעֲבָדָהּ.

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
“And the images of their gods
you shall tear down” (Dt. 12:3)—
this refers to those first planted and later worshipped.


###### Sifrei Devarim 61:5
[Sifrei Devarim 61:5](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/61:5)

דָּבָר אַחֵר: **וְנִתַּצְתֶּם אֶת מִזְבְּחֹתָם**, מִכָּן אָמְרוּ (ע״ז פ״ג מ״ז) שָׁלֹשׁ אֲשֵׁרוֹת הֵם: אִילָן שֶׁנְּטָעוֹ מִתְּחִלָּה לַעֲבוֹדָה זָרָה – הֲרֵי זֶה אָסוּר, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: **וַאֲשֵׁרֵיהֶם תִּשְׂרְפוּן בָּאֵשׁ**. הֶחְלִיף – נוֹטֵל מַה שֶׁהֶחְלִיף, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר **וּפְסִילֵי אֱלֹהֵיהֶם תְּגַדֵּעוּן**. לֹא הֶחְלִיף, אֶלָּא הֶעֱמִיד תַּחְתָּיו עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה וְסִלְּקוֹ – הֲרֵי זֶה מֻתָּר, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר **וְאִבַּדְתֶּם אֶת שְׁמָם מִן הַמָּקוֹם הַהוּא, לֹא תַעֲשׂוּן כֵּן לַה׳ אֱלֹהֵיכֶם**.

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
2. Another word:
“You shall tear down their altars” (Dt. 12:3).²⁹
On this basis they taught:
**There are three kinds of Ashera-trees,**
**[one being proscribed and two being tolerated]:**
**a tree which they planted**
**originally to serve a foreign cult—**
**indeed, it is proscribed,**
**for it is stated:**
**“Their Ashera-trees you shall burn with fire” (Dt. 12:3).**
**If it sprouted shoots—**
**he should remove the shoots.**
**For it is stated:**
**“The images of their gods you shall cut down” (Dt. 12:3).**
**If it did not sprout shoots,**
**but they set up an idol beneath it,**
**and later removed it—**
**indeed, this is permitted**
**[once the idol is gone].**³⁰
for it is stated:
“And you shall destroy their name from that place . . .
You must not treat HASHEM your God in such a way” (Dt. 12:3-4).

footnotes:
²⁹ The smaller font represents material regarded by F:126, n.8, as a textual interpolation.
³⁰ //M. AZ.3:7.


###### Sifrei Devarim 61:6
[Sifrei Devarim 61:6](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/61:6)

שְׁלֹשָׁה בָּתִּים הֵם: בַּיִת שֶׁבְּנָאוֹ מִתְּחִלָּה לַעֲבוֹדָה זָרָה – הֲרֵי זֶה אָסוּר, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״אַבֵּד תְּאַבְּדוּן אֶת כָּל הַמְּקוֹמוֹת״, חִדֵּשׁ – נוֹטֵל מַה שֶּׁחִדֵּשׁ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וְאִבַּדְתֶּם אֶת שְׁמָם״, לֹא חִדֵּשׁ אֶלָּא הִכְנִיס לְתוֹכוֹ עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה וְהוֹצִיאָהּ – הֲרֵי זֶה מֻתָּר, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: **וְנִתַּצְתֶּם אֶת מִזְבְּחֹתָם וְשִׁבַּרְתֶּ[ם] אֶת מַצֵּבֹתָם**. נִתַּצְתָּה אֶת הַמִּזְבֵּחַ – הַנַּח לוֹ, שִׁבַּרְתָּה אֶת הַמַּצֵּבָה – הַנַּח לָהּ. יָכוֹל אַף מְצֻוֶּה לִרְדֹּף אַחֲרֵיהֶם בְּחוּצָה לָאָרֶץ? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: **וְאִבַּדְתֶּם אֶת שְׁמָם מִן הַמָּקוֹם הַהוּא**, בְּאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל אַתָּה מְצֻוֶּה לִרְדֹּף אַחֲרֵיהֶם, וְאֵין אַתָּה מְצֻוֶּה לִרְדֹּף אַחֲרֵיהֶם בְּחוּצָה לָאָרֶץ.

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
3.**There are three kinds of house**
**[one being proscribed and two being tolerated]:**
**a house which they built**
**originally to serve a foreign cult—**
**indeed, it is proscribed,**
**for it is stated:**
**“You must *utterly destroy* all the places” (Dt. 12:2).**
**If it was renovated—**
**he should remove what was renovated,**
**for it is stated:**
**“And you shall *destroy* their name from that place” (Dt. 12:3).**
**If it was *not* renovated,**
**but they brought an image into it**
**and later removed it—**
**indeed, this is permitted**
**[once the image is gone].**³¹
for it is stated:
“You shall *tear* down their altars *and smash* their pillars” (Dt. 12:3)—
that is, having torn down the altar, just leave the ruins,
having smashed their pillar, just leave the ruins**.**4. Is it possible to say that
you are required to pursue
[servants of a foreign cult] beyond the Land?
The Teaching states:
“You shall destroy their name *from* that place” (Dt. 12:3)—
that is, you are commanded to pursue them
*from* the Land of Israel,
but you are not commanded to pursue them
*beyond* the Land.

footnotes:
³¹ //M. AZ.3:7.


###### Sifrei Devarim 61:7
[Sifrei Devarim 61:7](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/61:7)

רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר אוֹמֵר: מִנַּיִן לַקּוֹצֵץ אֶת הָאֲשֵׁרָה שֶׁחַיָּב לְשָׁרְשָׁהּ? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: **וְאִבַּדְתֶּם אֶת שְׁמָם**. אָמַר לוֹ רַבִּי עֲקִיבָה: מָה אֲנִי צָרִיךְ? וַהֲלֹא כְּבָר נֶאֱמַר: ״אַבֵּד תְּאַבְּדוּן״, מַה תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר **וְאִבַּדְתֶּם אֶת שְׁמָם**? לְשַׁנּוֹת אֶת שְׁמָם. אוֹ יָכוֹל לְשֶׁבַח? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר (דברים ז כו): ״שַׁקֵּץ תְּשַׁקְּצֶנּוּ וְתַעֵב תְּתַעֲבֶנּוּ״.

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
5. R. Eliezer says:
on what basis do I know that
one who cuts down an Ashera-tree
must uproot it as well?
The Teaching states:
“And you shall *destroy* their name” (Dt. 12:3).
Said to him R. Akiva:
Why do I need this verse?
Isn’t it already stated:
“You shall *utterly destroy*” (Dt. 12:2)?
**What does the Teaching add by stating:**
**“And you shall destroy their *name*” (Dt. 12:3)?**
**[do we] change the names of their cultic shrines?**
**Or, is it possible to say that**
**[we should select] more appropriate names?**
**The Teaching states:**
**“Utterly despise it, be utterly revolted by it” (Dt. 7:26)—**
**[by selecting a more appropriate name].**³²

footnotes:
³² Cf. T.AZ.6[7]:4. The Tosefta offers a number of examples of changing the name of a shrine, e.g., from “The Face of God” to “Dog-Face!”


###### Sifrei Devarim 61:8
[Sifrei Devarim 61:8](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/61:8)

מִנַּיִן לְנוֹתֵץ אֶבֶן אַחַת מִן הַהֵיכָל וּמִן הַמִּזְבֵּחַ וּמִן הָעֲזָרוֹת, שֶׁעוֹבֵר בְּלֹא תַעֲשֶׂה? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: **וְנִתַּצְתֶּם אֶת מִזְבְּחֹתָם וְשִׁבַּרְתֶּם אֶת מַצֵּבֹתָם לֹא תַעֲשׂוּן כֵּן לַה׳ אֱלֹהֵיכֶם.** רַבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל אוֹמֵר: מִנַּיִן לְמוֹחֵק אוֹת אַחַת מִן הַשֵּׁם שֶׁעוֹבֵר בְּלֹא תַעֲשֶׂה? שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: **וְאִבַּדְתֶּם אֶת שְׁמָם לֹא תַעֲשׂוּן כֵּן לַה׳ אֱלֹהֵיכֶם**. רַבָּן גַּמְלִיאֵל אוֹמֵר: וְכִי תַּעֲלֶה עַל דַּעְתְּךָ שֶׁיִּשְׂרָאֵל נוֹתְצִים לְמִזְבְּחוֹתֵיהֶם חַס וְשָׁלוֹם? אֶלָּא שֶׁלֹּא תַעֲשׂוּ כְּמַעֲשֵׂיהֶם וְיִגְרְמוּ מַעֲשֵׂיכֶם הָרָעִים לְמִקְדַּשׁ אֲבוֹתֵיכֶם שֶׁיֶּחֱרַב.

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
6. **On what basis do I know that**
**one who carves a single stone**
**from the Sanctuary, from the Altar, or from the Courtyards**
**transgresses a proscription?**
**The Teaching states:**
**“You shall tear down their altars, and smash their pillars . . .**
**you must not treat HASHEM your God in such a way” (Dt. 12:3-4).**³³
**R. Ishmael says:**
**on what basis do I know that**
**one who erases a single letter**
**from the Holy Name**
**transgresses a proscription?**
**For it is stated:**
**“You shall destroy their name . . . you must not treat HASHEM your God in such a way” (Dt. 12:3-4).**³⁴
Rabban Gamliel says:
now, could you imagine that
Israel would tear down their own altars?
Heaven forbid!
Rather, this is the point—
do not do as *they* do,
lest your wicked deeds cause the Holy Shrine
of your ancestors to be destroyed!

footnotes:
³³ //T. Mak.5:8.
³⁴ //T. Mak.5:9.