I was at the sea again and pondering Rav Shach's explanation of the Gemara in Avoda Zara 23b and Rosh Hashanah 13a. In short: the land of Israel belongs to Abraham the Patriarch but trees that the Canaanites plant belong to them. So the Gemara asks why burn the asherot (trees that were worshipped)?[If they would have been idols of a gentile, the gentile could simply verbally nullify them and knock some piece off.] Tosphot says because of the trees from previous generations. [Rav Shach explains that means that were planted before Abraham.]
What I was thinking was this. Rav Shach explains the trees that had to be burned were not worshipped at first. So when the land was given to Abraham the trees came along. Then Israel [the nation of Israel] worshipped the Golden Calf and so we see idolatry was okay to the and the trees became idols of Israel that needed to be burned.
What I asked was the obvious question that a tree that was planted regularly, not in order to be worshipped does not become an ashera [idol worshipped tree] since it is attached to the ground.
Today I was wondering if there could be away this question might be answered. Perhaps I thought the trees were in fact planted to be worshipped, and then the land was given to Abraham along with those trees and then the Golden Calf was worshipped and then they become idols of a Israeli. But I can not see how this could make sense. If the land was given to Abraham along with those trees then they already belonged to him before the Golden Calf. Then they needed burning. If Abraham would have refused to acquire idolatrous trees then what changed when the Golden Calf was worshipped? Suddenly an act of acquisition occurred? Obviously not.
So I am still stuck in trying to figure this subject out.
[Just for a reminder to people, I bring here the subject in short. Gemara Avoda Zara23b: why was Israel commanded to burn the Asherot idol trees? Did not the land belong to them? And אין אדם אוסר דבר שאינו שלו no one an cause to be forbidden that which does not belong to him. Answer: Israel served the Golden Calf so idolatry was okay to them.
Gemara Rosh Hashana 13a. How could Israel bring the Omer first stalk of grain when they came into the Land Of Canaan? That grain belonged to the Canaanites! Tosphot says by way of explanation: the land was of Israel and the grain was of the Canaanites. Then Tosphot asks then what were they asking in Avoda Zara 23b? Answer: Because of the trees from the previous generations.]
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I was pondering של רב שך explanation of the גמרא עבודה זרה כ''ג ע''ב וראש השנה י''ג ע''א. In short: the land of Israel belongs to Abraham the Patriarch but trees that the Canaanites plant belong to them. So the גמרא עבודה זרה asks why burn the אשירות (trees that were worshipped)? [If they would have been idols of a עכו''ם, the עכו''ם could simply verbally nullify them and knock some piece off.] תוספות says because of the trees from previous generations. רב שך explains that means that were planted before Abraham. What I was thinking was this. רב שך explains the trees that had to be burned were not worshipped at first. So when the land was given to Abraham the trees came along. Then Israel [the nation of Israel] worshipped the Golden Calf and so we see idolatry was okay to the and the trees became idols of Israel that needed to be burned. What I asked was the obvious question that a tree that was planted regularly, not in order to be worshipped does not become an אשירה [idol worshipped tree] since it is attached to the ground. Today I was wondering if there could be a way this question might be answered. Perhaps I thought the trees were in fact planted to be worshipped, and then the land was given to Abraham along with those trees and then the Golden Calf was worshipped and then they become idols of a Israeli. But I can not see how this could make sense. If the land was given to Abraham along with those trees then they already belonged to him before the Golden Calf. Then they needed burning. If Abraham would have refused to acquire idolatrous trees then what changed when the Golden Calf was worshipped? Suddenly an act of acquisition occurred? Obviously not.
הייתי מהרהר בהסבר של רב שך בגמרא עבודה זרה כ''ג ע''ב וראש השנה י''ג ע''א. בקיצור: ארץ ישראל שייכת לאברהם אבל עצים שהכנענים שתלו שייכים להם. אז הגמרא עבודה זרה שואלת למה לשרוף את האשירות (עצים שסגדו להם)? [אם הם היו אלילים של עכו''ם, יכלו העכו''ם פשוט לבטל אותם.] תוספות אומר בגלל העצים מהדורות הקודמים. רב שך מסביר שפירושו שנטעו לפני אברהם. מה שחשבתי זה זה. רב שך מסביר את העצים שהיה צריך לשרוף לא עבדו בהתחלה. אז כשהארץ ניתנה לאברהם, נרכשו גם העצים. ואז ישראל סגדו לעגל הזהב ולכן אנו רואים שעבודת האלילים הייתה בסדר אצלם והעצים הפכו לאלילים של ישראל שהיו צריכים להישרף. מה ששאלתי היא השאלה המתבקשת שעץ שנשתל סתם, שלא על מנת לעבוד לא הופך לאשרה מאחר שהוא מחובר לאדמה. היום תהיתי אם יש דרך לענות על השאלה הזו. אולי חשבתי שהעצים בעצם נטועים כדי לעבוד, ואז הארץ ניתנה לאברהם יחד עם העצים האלה ואז סגדו לעגל הזהב ואז הם הופכים לאלילים של ישראלי. אבל אני לא יכול לראות איך זה יכול להיות הגיוני. אם הארץ ניתנה לאברהם יחד עם העצים האלה אז הם כבר היו שייכים לו לפני עגל הזהב. ואז הם היו צריכים שריפה. אם אברהם היה מסרב לרכוש עצי אלילים, אז מה השתנה כאשר סגדו לעגל הזהב? פתאום התרחש מעשה רכישה? ברור שלא
