Tanach
Devarim 16:21-22 דברים ט״ז:כ״א-כ״ב
Part of: ShoftimShoftim, Aliyah 1Chapter 16
Reading: Hebrew · Simple EnglishHebrew · Faithful translationHebrew onlyHebrew · Simple EnglishHebrew · Faithful translationHebrew onlySimple English onlyFaithful translation onlySide by sideRashi
לֹֽא־תִטַּע לְךָ אֲשֵׁרָה כׇּל־עֵץ אֵצֶל מִזְבַּח יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֲשֶׁר תַּעֲשֶׂה־לָּֽךְ׃
Do not plant an Asherah for yourself [or] any tree near the altar of Adonoy, your God, that you will make for yourself.
Do not plant an Asherah for yourself [or] any tree near the altar of Adonoy, your God, that you will make for yourself.
Rashi
לא תטע לך אשרה כל עץ אצל מזבח ה' אלהיך. אַזְהָרָה לְנוֹטֵעַ אִילָן וּלְבוֹנֶה בַיִת בְּהַר הַבַּיִת:
Do not plant an Asherah tree for yourself; any tree near the altar of Adonoy, your God. This prohibits planting a tree or building a structure on the Temple mount.
וְלֹֽא־תָקִים לְךָ מַצֵּבָה אֲשֶׁר שָׂנֵא יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶֽיךָ׃ {ס}
And do not erect for yourself a monument that Adonoy, your God, detests.
And do not erect for yourself a monument that Adonoy, your God, detests.
Rashi
ולא תקים לך מצבה. מַצֶּבֶת אֶבֶן אַחַת לְהַקְרִיב עָלֶיהָ אֲפִלּוּ לַשָּׁמַיִם:
Do not erect for yourself a monument. A single-stone monument for sacrificial offerings, even for the sake of Heaven.
אשר שנא. מִזְבַּח אֲבָנִים וּמִזְבַּח אֲדָמָה צִוָּה לַעֲשׂוֹת, וְאֶת זוֹ שָׂנֵא, כִּי חֹק הָיְתָה לַכְּנַעֲנִיִּים, וְאַעַ"פִּ שֶׁהָיְתָה אֲהוּבָה לוֹ בִּימֵי הָאָבוֹת, עַכְשָׁיו שְׂנֵאָהּ מֵאַחַר שֶׁעֲשָׂאוּהָ אֵלּוּ חֹק לַעֲבוֹדָה זָרָה (עי' שם):
That [God] detests. An altar made of stones or an earthen altar is what He commanded, but He detests this, because it was in the canon of the Canaanites. Although He cherished it during the times of the patriarchs, He now detests it, since they included it in the idolatrous ritual.
לא תטע לך אשרה. לְחַיְּבוֹ עָלֶיהָ מִשְּׁעַת נְטִיעָתָהּ, וַאֲפִלּוּ לֹא עֲבָדָהּ עוֹבֵר בְּלֹא תַעֲשֶׂה עַל נְטִיעָתָהּ (שם):
Do not plant an Asherah tree for yourself. This makes him liable from the time that it was planted. Even if he never worshipped it, he transgresses a negative commandment for the very planting.