כל הצלמים אסורים – for deriving benefit.

שהם נעבדים פעם אחת בשנה – when the sun is at the same height that the image is made for even though that there are many that are not other than for beauty and are not worshipped, Rabbi Meir, according to his reasoning, is suspect of the minority.

כל שיש בידו וכו' – since these are definitely worshipped, and because of their importance, they considered these objects that are in their hands. And in a Baraitha (Talmud Avodah Zarah 41a), they added a sword, a crown and a ring and the Halakha is according to the Sages. But their prohibition is not other than when they stand at the entrance to the state and in the villages where it was not their practice to make images for beauty, everyone states that it is prohibited, and even if there was nothing in his hand to serve it with, they worship it.

הרי אלו מותרין – for had they been whole, there is a doubt whether they would have worshipped them or not worshipped them. And even if one is able to say that hey worshipped them lest they become nullified, and therefore, broke them, for this is a double doubt and for a leniency.

שכיוצא בהם נעבד – the form of a hand alone they would make ab initio and they worship it.

צורת חמה צורת לבנה – Rambam/Maimonides, of blessed memory, explained, that you should not find it would and he would say, “this is the sun,” or in the form of a round bow, and he would say, “this is the moon,” but rather that he should find a representation that they would relate these astrological specula to the sun or the moon, like they said, that the representation of the sun is like a wreathed king sitting on a wagon, and similarly all this that are like this.

צורת דרקון – the representation of a snake which has something glistening and scales like the scales of a fish, and they say that it is the representation of the hills of the moon, and it was worshipped in those days, and even according to the Rabbis who stated above (i.e., Mishnah 1), that all of the rest of the images are permissible, they would agree that these are forbidden for it is their custom to worship them.

שעל המכובדים – nice utensils that their use is for adornment and honor, such as chains, nose-rings and rings and similar kinds of things.

מבוזים – boilers and kettles and those things that warm up warm things, and other similar things. And the Halakha is according to Rabban Shimon ben Gamaliel.

וזורה לרוח – so that an Israelite will not benefit from it.

אף הוא – if he cast it to the wind also now there would be benefit to an Israelite from it, for it would become manure.

אפרודטי – a representation of the planet Venus. This is what Maimonides/Rambam, of blessed memory, explained.

אין משיבין – words of Torah in the bathhouse, for a person stands naked there.

היא באתה בגבולי – for the bathhouse preceded her, and the bathhouse was made for everyone who comes to bathe/wash. And there is another response that we don’t say: “Let us make a bathhouse of adornment for Aphrodite,” for a bathhouse is not a thing of adornment, but rather, “let us make Aphrodite an adornment for the bathhouse,” for Aphrodite uses the bathhouse, and it is secondary and she is essential.

ביב – a ditch made in the ground to remove waste-water that is poured into the public domain.

הן מותרין – the mountains themselves are permissible for sewing [seed] and to hew stones from them that are attached and are not forbidden.

ומפני מה אשרה אסורה – meaning to say just as we expound (Deuteronomy 12:2): “[You must destroy all the sites at which the nations you are to dispossess worshipped] their gods, whether on lofty mountains [and on hills or under any luxuriant tree],” and not ‘on their lofty mountains, their gods’, so also “under any luxuriant tree” (ibid.,) their gods, and not ‘the luxuriant trees of their gods.’ And why did the Torah prohibit this? As it is written (Deuteronomy 7:5): “cut down their sacred posts.”

מפני שיש בה תפיסת ידי אדם – that a person planted it and Rabbi Yosi holds that a tree that a person planted and at the end worshipped is forbidden. But the First Tanna/teacher [of our Mishnah] holds that since at the beginning when it was planted, he did not intend to worship it, the worship that he performs after it is attached does not prohibit it for it is like someone who worships a mountain. But the Halakha is not according to Rabbi Yosi.

אני אובין – I will explain.

ואדון לפניך – after we do not have to expound on the limitation from “or under any luxuriant tree,” one can say that it was not said other than to provide for them signs, a place where it is customary for Emorites to worship idolatry in order that Israel can search them out and destroy them. But the limitation of mountains and hills however, we eliminate from its implication for God did not command us to destroy the mountains, but [God] did command us to destroy luxuriant trees, as it states (Deuteronomy 12:3): “put their sacred posts to the fire.”

סמוך לע"ז – that one of his walls is a house for idolatry and the hose itself is worshipped.

אסור לבנותו – for he is building a house for idolatry.

כונס לתוך קרקע שלו ד' אמות – and he does not leave it empty as it is found benefitting idolatry as it extends its boundary, but he fills the place with thorns and makes there a toilet for young children.

היה שלו ושל ע"ז – for the place of the beams of the walls, half of it is his.

נדון מחצה על מחצה – that portion of idolatry does not count in the bringing it inside [within his own property] four cubits but his part counts, for if its beams are two cubits, he counts one cubit of his own and brings it [an additional] three cubits within his own.

אבניו עציו ועפריו – of that wall

מטמאין כשרץ – which defiles like an unclean reptile, and even the section of the Israelite since there is no choice.

כשרץ – that ritually defiles through contact because the defilement of idolatry is Rabbinic, they were lenient concerning it, and it does not defile like a lentil like an unclean reptile, but rather in an olive’s bulk like [contact] with the dead.

רבי עקיבא אומר כנדה – But the Halakha is not according to Rabbi Akiva even with idolatry itself, and all the more so, with those who use it.

שלשה בתים הם – regarding the matter of abrogation of idolatry.

בית – the beginning of its building is for idolatry. This is prohibited.

סיידו וכיירו לעבודה זרה – that it was built ab initio as a human dwelling. And plastered it – who whiten it with plaster and cementing/putting tiles, engraving and doing embroidery.

וחידש – or renewed.

נוטל מה שחידש – and all the rest of the house is permitted.

הכניס לתוכו ע"ז – by the hour, and he did not designate it for the usage of idolatry.

שלש אבנים הם – for the matter of abrogation.

אבן שחצבה מתחלה – from the mountain.

לבימוס – to place idolatry upon it.

סיידה וכיירה – and it was hewn and standing.

נוטל – an Israelite,

מה שחידש – what was new, the adornment and the stone are permitted.

העמיד עליה ע"ז – by the hour, and he did not designate the stone for a pedestal [for an idol].

וסילקה – this is permitted, and does not need abrogation.

גדעו – for the purposes of idolatry to worship the growths that took place upon it from now.

נוטל מה שהחליף – the branches that grew in place of those that he lopped off and he burned them according to the law of Asherah/tree devoted to idolatry, the remainder is permitted.

איזו היא אשרה – In the Gemara (Tractate Avodah Zarah 48a) it explains that the three Asherot that are taught in the Mishnah are referred to above and this is what is taught: There are three Asherot – two of them are held by everyone and on one there is the dispute between Rabbi Shimon and the Rabbis. And what is the Asherah that Rabbi Shimon and the Rabbis? All [trees] that have under them idolatry, for the Rabbis call them a tree devoted for idolatry and prohibits them all the while that there is idolatry underneath it, and Rabbi Shimon states that it is not Asherah but rather everyone worships it, but all [trees] which have underneath them idolatry, this is not an Asherah. But the Halakha is not according to Rabbi Shimon.

לא ישב בצלה – this shade is not under the bough of the Asherah tree as stated, for one is not able to teach further, and if he sat, he is ritually pure, for that which is taught at the final section, that if passed [underneath it], he is ritually impure. But rather from the tree and further, for when the sun is in the east or in the west, there is a long shade for all things.

לא יעבור תחתיו – underneath the bough from the tree, for the tree forms a cover/tent [of Levitical uncleanness arising from being under the same shelter with it] and if he passed [underneath it], he is ritually impure.

היתה גוזלת את הרבים – that its bough inclines to the public domain.

טהור – it is Rabbinical defilement and where it “steals”/encroaches upon the public [domain], the Rabbis did not make a decree.

ירקות בימות הגשמים – for the tree is difficult for them as it prevents the sun from coming out.

אבל לא בימות החמה – for the shade is pleasant for them.

והחזרין – lettuce and in Arabic, “hassa.”

לא בימות החמה [ולא בימות הגשמים] – for the shade is always pleasant for them.

והנמייה –leaves that fall from the tree in the rainy season and in the Gemara (Talmud Avodah Zarah 49a), raises the objection to that which we learn according to Rabbi Yosi who states that the combined causes is permitted (who is discussing the subject of planting vegetables in the winter, according to the Mishnah). Earlier in our chapter (see Tractate Avodah Zarah, Chapter 3, Mishnah 3), regarding crumbling them [the idolatrous figures] and casting them into the wind (see also Tractate Pesahim, Chapter 2, Mishnah 1 for the use of the same phrase regarding the destruction of leavened products) and even though they are made into manure, for where the permission and the prohibition of both of them cause them to bring the matter, such as the case as the land of permission, and the manure of idolatry which is prohibited, cause the growing of vegetables, Rabbi Yosi holds that it is permitted. And where he prohibited vegetables, here it is because the foliage falls upon them, and Rabbi Yosi responds here to the words of the Rabbis stating that according to them when they state that the combined causes are prohibited, they should have prohibited the vegetables because of the foliage that falls upon them and it is for them like manure. But the Rabbis hold that this is different here, for the tree of idolatry does not affect the vegetables at all, for as the foliage is beneficial to them, the shade is harmful for them. But the Halakha is according to Rabbi Yosi, that the product of combined sources is permissible.

נטל הימנה – from the Asherah.

חדש יותץ – for the first making of the flame when they kindle the oven glazes it and strengthens it and it is improved through prohibited forms of benefit, but our Mishnah comes according to the one states that combined causes are prohibited, and this is not the Halakha. Therefore, whether it is new or old, it must be cooled down.

הפת אסורה – in the Gemara it states (Tractate Avodah Zarah 49b) that a torch is opposite him, for all the while that the bread is baking, he would kindle the torch at the mouth of the oven and bake it, for he would benefit from the prohibition a the time when the prohibition is clearly visible and there is and there is improvement to the wood with the bread.

יוליך הנאה לים המלח – the cost of the loaf that was combined.

כרכור – there is for weavers a piece of wood made in the form of a needle of sack-makers and they pass it over the warp/longitudinal direction when it is stretched before them in the weaving. And our Mishnah teaches us the dispute between Rabbi Eliezer and the Rabbis in these two things, for had it taught only the first one, I might state that in this [only], Rabbi Eliezer stated it because at the time when the bread is completed, the prohibition is disregarded, but a whorl [of a spindle] which has a prohibition of its own, I would state that he agrees with the Rabbis. But had he only stated the other one, it would have been this one alone that the Rabbis stated, but in the first, I would say that they agree with Rabbi Eliezer. Therefore, it is necessary to teach both. And the Halakha is according to Rabbi Eliezer, even with a jug of wine known or suspected to have been manipulated by an idolater, that became combined with jugs of permitted wine – they bring the costs of that jug to the Dead Sea and the remainder are permitted to derive benefit from it.

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 that 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 only that gentile who is an adult and someone with appropriate maturity who knows well the idol worship and it’s practices can affect a nullification. And even if he nullified it against his will, it is still effective.