[45a - 16 lines; 45b - 47 lines]
1a)[line 1]ההריםHARIM- mountains
b)[line 2]הגבעותGEVA'OS- hills
2)[line 2]ומה שעליהןMAH SHE'ALEIHEN- what is on them; i.e., if the idolaters were to adorn the mountains and hills with gold or silver, even though the mountains and hills do not become prohibited as Avodah Zarah, their adornments do become prohibited
3)[line 3]"[פְּסִילֵי אֱלֹהֵיהֶם תִּשְׂרְפוּן בָּאֵשׁ;] לֹא תַחְמוֹד כֶּסֶף וְזָהָב עֲלֵיהֶם [וְלָקַחְתָּ לָךְ, פֶּן תִּוָּקֵשׁ בּוֹ, כִּי תוֹעֲבַת ה' אֱ-לֹקֶיךָ הוּא]""[PESILEI ELOHEHEM TISREFUN BA'ESH;] LO SACHMOD KESEF V'ZAHAV ALEIHEM [V'LAKACHTA LACH, PEN TIVAKESH BO...]"- "[The engraved images of their gods you shall burn with fire;] you shall not desire the silver or gold that is on them, [nor take it for yourself, lest you be snared by it, for it is an abomination to HaSh-m, your G-d]" (Devarim 7:25).
4)[line 4]"[אַבֵּד תְּאַבְּדוּן אֶת כָּל הַמְּקֹמוֹת אֲשֶׁר עָבְדוּ שָׁם הַגּוֹיִם אֲשֶׁר אַתֶּם יֹרְשִׁים אֹתָם אֶת] אֱלֹהֵיהֶם; עַל הֶהָרִים [הָרָמִים וְעַל הַגְּבָעוֹת וְתַחַת כָּל עֵץ רַעֲנָן]""[ABED TE'ABEDUN ES KOL HA'MEKOMOS ASHER AVDU SHAM HA'GOYIM... ES] ELOHEHEM; AL HE'HARIM [HA'RAMIM V'AL HA'GEVA'OS, V'SACHAS KOL ETZ RA'ANAN]"- "[You shall completely destroy all of the places, where the nations which you shall possess served] their gods; upon the [high] mountains, [and upon the hills, and under every leafy tree]" (Devarim 12:2).
5)[line 6]אשירהASHEIRAH
(a)Asheirah is a tree that serves as a form of Avodah Zarah. (Asheirah was a popular fertility goddess in the Near East. She is identified with Astarte (Ashtaros) and Aphrodite.) An Asheirah tree must be cut down or annulled. No benefit can be derived from it.
(b)The Mishnah (Daf 48a) lists three types of Asheirah trees: 1. A tree that the owner originally planted to worship as Avodah Zarah; 2. A tree that the owner stripped bare of any branches, shoots and the like, either with the intention of serving as an Avodah Zarah the entire tree or only the new growth; 3. A tree under which the owner placed an Avodah Zarah.
6)[line 7]שיש בה תפיסת בני אדםYESH BAH TEFISAS YEDEI ADAM- it contains the contribution (lit. the handhold) of people
7)[line 8]אני אובין ואדון לפניךANI OVIN V'ADUN LEFANECHA- I will explain and deduce before you
8a)[line 10]הר גבוהHAR GAVO'AH- a tall mountain
b)[line 10]וגבעה נשאהGIV'AH NISA'AH- an elevated hill
c)[line 10]ועץ רענןETZ RA'ANAN- a leafy tree
9)[line 13]צפוי הרTZIPUY HAR- a covering for a mountain
45b----------------------------------------45b
10)[line 14]"[וְנִתַּצְתֶּם אֶת מִזְבְּחֹתָם, וְשִׁבַּרְתֶּם אֶת מַצֵּבֹתָם,] וַאֲשֵׁרֵיהֶם תִּשְׂרְפוּן בָּאֵשׁ, [וּפְסִילֵי אֱלֹהֵיהֶם תְּגַדֵּעוּן; וְאִבַּדְתֶּם אֶת שְׁמָם מִן הַמָּקוֹם הַהוּא]""[V'NITATZ'TEM ES MIZBECHOSAM, V'SHIBARTEM ES MATZEVOSAM,] VA'ASHEREIHEM TISREFUN BA'ESH, [U'FESILEI ELOHEHEM TEGADE'UN; V'IBADTEM ES SHEMAM MIN HA'MAKOM HA'HU]"- "[And you shall demolish their altars, and break their pillars,] and burn their Asherim with fire, [and you shall cut down the carved images of their gods; and destroy their names out of that place]" (Devarim 12:3 - see Rashi ibid. and Gemara Avodah Zarah 46a).
11)[line 23]"[כִּי אִם כֹּה תַעֲשׂוּ לָהֶם, מִזְבְּחֹתֵיהֶם תִּתֹּצוּ וּמַצֵּבֹתָם תְּשַׁבֵּרוּ;] וַאֲשֵׁירֵהֶם תְּגַדֵּעוּן [וּפְסִילֵיהֶם תִּשְׂרְפוּן בָּאֵשׁ]""[KI IM KO SA'ASU LAHEM: MIZBECHOSEIHEM TITOTZU U'MATZEVOSAM TESHABERU;] VA'ASHEIREHEM TEGADE'UN, [U'FESILEIHEM TISREFUN BA'ESH]"- "[But thus shall you deal with them; you shall destroy their altars, and break down their images;] and cut down their Asherim, [and burn their carved idols with fire]" (Devarim 7:5).
12a)[line 24]שגידועוGIDU'O- its branches, shoots and the like that are cut off from it
b)[line 24]ועיקרוIKARO- its trunk
13)[line 26]והא "וַאֲשֵׁרֵיהֶם תִּשְׂרְפוּן בָּאֵשׁ" קא נסיב לה תלמודאV'HA "VA'ASHEREIHEM TISREFUN BA'ESH" KA NASIV LAH TALMUDA- but the Gemara took [the verse] "va'Ashereihem Tisrefun ba'Esh" [as proof of the prohibition of a tree that was planted without a specific intention to worship it as Avodah Zarah that the owner later did worship]
14)[line 42]לשרש אחריהL'SHARESH ACHAREHA- to root it out
15)[line 45]לכנות לה שםL'CHANOS LAH SHEM- to call it a nickname [of scorn or ridicule]
16)[line 46]לעוקרOKER- uproot, destroy