Commento su Deuteronomio 16:21

לא תטע לך אשרה THOU SHALT NOT PLANT THEE AN ASHERA — This is intended to make one liable to punishment regarding it from the very moment that he plants it (the Ashera); even though he does not worship it he transgresses a negative command by the mere planting of it (Sifrei Devarim 145:1).

THOU SHALT NOT PLANT THEE AN ASHEIRAH. Any tree planted at the entrance of a house of G-d is called asheirah. Possibly because it ordereth the way aright,³¹Psalms 59:23. — That the meaning definitely is not an idolatrous place of worship, may be gathered from the reading here in the Tur, where Ramban’s language is quoted as follows: “Any tree planted at the entrance of a house of your G-d is called etc.” Ramban’s further language about the prohibition of planting a tree near the altar of G-d, clearly shows that he is speaking here of a House of G-d. directing people’s “steps” [to worship], it is called [asheirah] from the word ‘ashurai’ (my steps) have held fast to Thy paths.³²Ibid., 17:5. Scripture thus admonishes not to plant a tree beside the altar of G-d for beauty and to think that it is an honor and glory to G-d’s altar. He prohibited it because it was a custom of the idolaters to plant trees at the entrances of their idol’s temples, as it is written, further, and throw down the altar of Baal that belongs to thy father, and cut down the asheirah that is by it.³³Judges 6:25.
Now Rashi wrote: “Thou shalt not plant thee an asheirah. This is intended to make one liable [to punishment] from the very moment of planting; and even if he does not worship it, he transgresses a negative commandment for planting it. And thou shalt not plant any kind of tree beside the altar of the Eternal thy G-d. This is an admonition against planting [trees] or building a [wooden] house on the Temple mount.” If so, Scripture is stating: “thou shalt not plant thee an asheirah ‘nor’³⁴Ramban’s point is as follows: According to Rashi’s interpretation it is as if there is a vav missing in the word kol (any) which should be v’kol (nor any). Thus, Rashi interprets the verse: we may not plant a tree for an idolatrous purpose anywhere, “nor any” tree, even for beauty’s sake, beside the altar of G-d. Ramban agrees to all that. However, Rashi adds that “building a [wooden] house on the Temple mount” is likewise prohibited; Ramban points out that this is forbidden only by law of the Rabbis. any kind of tree beside the altar of the Eternal.” But building a [wooden] house on the Temple mount is [prohibited by] Rabbinic ordinance based on Scriptural support, for Scripture prohibited only the “planting” — “thou shalt not plant thee an asheirah [prohibiting the planting anywhere of trees intended for idol-worship], nor shalt thou plant thee any tree [for whatever purpose] beside the altar of the Eternal thy G-d.”

לא תטע לך אשרה, in this verse the Torah lists three items whose common denominator is that they appeal to the senses, are desirable, but at the same time are all spiritually negative, harmful.
The first one is האשרה, something beautiful and decorative for buildings, but at the same time something ugly from the vantage point of holiness as it is usually a conduit leading to idolatrous practices. Seeing that this is so, we are commanded whenever faced with such choices to give preference to that which leads to spiritual righteousness at the expense of physical perfection or beauty. By the same token, we are to prefer spiritual qualities possessed by someone chosen as a judge to external features, impressive though they may be.
The second item is המצבה, even though such a kind of altar was welcomed by G’d as an outlet for someone who wanted to bring an offering to G’d, this was before the Torah had been given. Consider, for example, Exodus 24,4 where the Torah welcomed 12 such monuments erected by Moses, where these monuments symbolised the fact that the person offering a sacrifice considered himself as constantly in the presence of the divine. (compare Psalms 16,8 שויתי ה' לנגדי תמיד, “I feel myself constantly in the presence of the Lord.”) The Jewish people had not been able to maintain this spiritual level after they had committed the sin of the golden calf. Even when such a מצבה is dedicated to heaven it had become hateful in the eyes of the Lord, i.e. G’d had expressed His distaste in Exodus 33,3, after having provisionally “forgiven” the people by appointing an angel to lead them to the Holy Land, but refusing to lead their ascent by His presence being among them. We encounter a similar concept described as the difference between an old man whose beard proclaims his respectability, as opposed to the old man whose beard is disheveled, i.e. reveals traces of a youth which was spent irresponsibly. We look for people whose exterior testifies to their blameless interior, character. [This metaphor is used by the Chazzan in his private introductory prayer on Yom Hakippurim. Ed.]
The third item, also reminding us of the rejection of an externally basically beautiful animal as a sacrifice, is a series of blemishes, some quite minor, not affecting the value of the animal in question in the market place at all. Such a blemish in an animal worth 1000 dollars disqualifies it as an offering, whereas another similar animal worth one single dollar, but without such a blemish, is given preference over the far more expensive animal, which is rejected. The Torah gives us three examples to teach us basically the same lesson. What is true of the blemished animal for presentation on the altar, is equally true for the venerable old scholar who is afflicted with some character fault. We are to look further in order to find a less impressive individual not afflicted with such character fault.

Asherah tree. The numerical value of this term (506) is the same as the value of the phrase, “a judge who is not fitting” [dayan she’aimo hagon]. For anyone who appoints a judge who is not fitting is considered as if he planted an Asherah tree near the altar.

לא תטע לך אשרה, "Do not plant for yourself a 'sacred' tree, etc." Our sages in Sanhedrin 7 have said that if one appoints an unsuitable judge this is similar to violating the commandment of this verse. According to the sages then the word לך in our verse means that the appointment of an unfit judge is objectionable only if it was made deliberately in order for those who appointed him to benefit from perversion of justice. If, however, a judge was appointed in all innnocence, and it turned out that this judge was not competent, no sin accrues to those who appointed him. The people who appointed said judge would certainly not be comparable to people who plant an אשרה.

אצל מזבח, for this is where they usually planted these asherot. We are told in Judges 6,25 that G’d told Gideon in a dream to destroy the asherah next to the altar of the Baal belonging to his father. Jeremiah 17,2 laments the fact that his own people had taken to planting such asherot near every green tree.

לא תטע לך אשרה, “Do not plant for yourself a tree that symbolises idolatry.” Nachmanides writes that any tree planted at the entrance of the Temple is described as אשרה, suggesting that a reason for this might be the fact that in Psalms 50,23 the words ושם דרך אראנו, instead of using the conventional translation, could be read with the letter ש having the dot on the right, so that it would mean “and there I will show him the way.” When Bileam (Numbers 24,17) speaks about visions he has, he describes them also as אשורנו, the same as אראנו, “I will see it.” If in the popular parlance of the gentiles, such trees are spiritually symbolic, the Torah does not want us to employ idolaters’ symbols in connection with our spiritual Center. [Moreover, we must not confuse the holiness of beauty (in nature) with the beauty of holiness. [My version of the concept. Ed.]

לא תטע לך אשרה, “do not plant for yourself an idolatrous tree.” How can a tree be idolatrous? The meaning is that the tree is intended to serve as a focus of worship. The new twist of our legislation here is that the Torah prohibits already the planting of such a tree on pain of the penalty of 39 lashes even if the tree had never served as an object of idolatry (compare Rashi). Isaiah 66,17 severely condemns people who engage in sanctifying themselves before entering such groves (in order to worship the trees). [In other words, the practice of worshipping nature in such a manner was quite widespread.]

This makes him liable from the time that it was planted, etc. Otherwise [its worship] would be included in [the command], “You must not have any other gods” (Shmos 20:3). Furthermore, why does Scripture make mention of planting? Therefore [perforce], “This makes him liable, etc.”

V. 21. לא תטע לך וגו׳. Wir haben bereits Schmot 34, 13 erläutert, wie אשרה ein der besonderen Obhut einer Gottheit unterstellter Baum sei, in dessen gesegnetem Gedeihen (אשר) die wirksame Gegenwart der Gottheit erblickt und verehrt wurde. Es entspricht dies ganz dem heidnischen Götterwesen, dessen Gottheiten vor allem Naturmächte waren, deren Walten sich vor allem in der Entwicklung und den Erscheinungen der physischen Welt bekundete. Dazu steht aber das jüdische Gottbewusstsein in vollem Gegensatz. Nicht nur die physische Welt, in noch viel höherer, innigerer und unmittelbarer Weise bildet die geistig-sittliche Menschenwelt das Waltungsbereich seines Gottes, und nur durch Unterstellung seines ganzen geistigen Seins, Wollens und Vollbringens unter das Machtgebot seines Gottes hat der jüdische Mensch auch seinen Anteil an dem physischen Gedeihen zu gewinnen. Er hat keine אשרה, überhaupt keinen Baum, כל עץ, neben den Altar seines Gottes zu pflanzen, den er "sich" errichtet. Seine Altäre hat er "i>sich", seiner Unterstellung und Weihe und Erhebung zu Gott zu errichten, und mit dieser Unterstellung, Weihe und Erhebung seines sittlich freien Menschenwesens zu Gott hat er auch seine sinnlich physische Welt der segnenden und schützenden Gotteswaltung unterstellt. Er hat keinen "Baum" neben seinen "Altar" zu pflanzen. Mit der sittlichen Altarweihe und Hingebung seines Menschenwesens an Gott hat er alles, ohne diese hat er nichts. Es ist dies die reine Konsequenz des vorangehenden: צדק צדק תרדף למען תחיה, und gewinnt damit der an diese Aufeinanderfolge sich knüpfende Satz der Weisen: כל המעמיד דיין שאינו הגון על הצבור כאלו נוטע אשרה בישראל שנאמר שופטים ושוטרים תתן לך וסמיך ליה לא תטע לך אשרה (Sanhedrin 7 b) mehr als bloß äußere Beziehung. Die nationale Autorität, die die Rechtspflege einem Untauglichen in die Hand gibt, spricht ebenso eine Gleichgültigkeit des nationalen Pflichtlebens für das nationale Gedeihen aus, wie das Pflanzen einer אשרה physisches Gedeihen ohne gewissenhaftes Pflichtleben anstrebt.

לא תטע לך אשרה, “do not plant for yourself an asherah; (tree to serve as something to be worshipped.) The wording of the Torah makes it plain that even the mere planting of such a tree is a culpable offense. The Canaanites used to surround the altars for the baal with trees. We know this from Judges 6,28 where Gideon is reported with uprooting those trees and destroying the altar. It appears that when these idolaters sacrificed on their altars the sacrifices were in honour of these trees.

לא תטע לך אשרה, “do not plant for yourself an asherah; even if that asherah was not meant to be used as a place of worship. When conflicting claims face a judge, and he has to decide with which claims to deal with first, he is to deal with any matter that involves idolatry first. The term describes trees at the entrance to house of worship. Rashi understands the verse as prohibiting the planting of a tree or house on the Temple Mount. The words: לא תטע, would refer to the former, and the words: כל עץ, would refer to someone building a house, i.e. even from wood that is not fit to become a tree, having been cut and then reassembled.

לא תטע לך אשרה כל עץ אצל מזבח ה' אלהיך THOU SHALT NOT PLANT THEE AN ASHERA, ANY TREE NEAR UNTO THE ALTAR OF THE LORD THY GOD — This is a prohibition addressed to one who would plant a tree or build a house on the Temple mount (הר הבית) (Sifrei Devarim 145:1).

Asherah or any tree near the altar. The numerical value of this phrase (894) is the same as the value of the phrase, “wicked near righteous” [rasha etzel tzadik]

לא תטע לך אשרה, כל עץ, no tree must be planted in the courtyard of the Temple as its proximity to the altar was liable to lead the people to perform some kind of worshipful gesture as they were familiar with having observed the Canaanites do so.

This prohibits planting a tree, etc. Even though the verse does not write, “Do not plant for yourself any tree near the altar,” nevertheless, we are forced to say that “Do not plant” also refers [separately] to “any tree,” because if not, you might ask, how is it that Scripture writes, “Do not plant an Asherah for yourself any tree near the altar”? Is serving idolatry only forbidden next to the altar and permitted when not next to the altar? Rather, this is what the verse is saying. “Do not plant an Asherah for yourself” at all in the entire world. “And do not plant for yourself any tree near the altar” specifically, but not next to the altar you are permitted.

Ein "Baum" neben dem jüdischen "Altar" ist eine solche Trübung der jüdischen Wahrheit von Gott und der Heiligung des Menschen, dass eine Erweiterung דרבנן sogar jedes sichtbare Holzwerk aus dem baulichen Umkreis des Altars im מקדש fern hält, אין עושין אכסדראות בעזרה (Tamid 28 b; — siehe הל׳ ע׳׳ז רמב׳׳ם VI, 10).

אצל מזבח, “next to an altar;” it was a common practice for the pagans to do this. This has been explained in Judges 6,25. Furthermore, the purpose of not allowing such trees in such locations was to prevent people seeing someone going there from thinking that that individual was on his way to worshipping an idol. Jeremiah 17,2, describes such worship of an asherah as a widely accepted practice.

Or building a structure on the Temple mount. Re”m writes, “This is only a Rabbinic inference [which is hinted in the verse] as Scripture does not explicitly write “Do not plant for yourself any tree” but only the word tree [without a verb attached to it; and עץ can also mean plank]; [this indicates that] it makes no difference [whether this is done] through planting or through building. However, according to the plain meaning of the verse it refers only to planting, because “Do not plant” in the verse refers to both of them, either [planting] an Asherah [anywhere] or [planting] any tree near the altar of Adonoy.” Also, I found that in parshas Balak (Bamidbar 24:6), Rashi comments on the verse “כאהלים נטע ה' (like the tents Hashem stretched taut),” and that, “The expression of נטיעה is found in relation to tents as it is written, “ויטע אהלו אפדנו (he stretched taut his palatial tents) (Doniel 11:45).” Here too, [we can say that] the expression נטיעה relates to a structure. Another answer is that we include the building of a structure because it is written [the seemingly extra word] “any,” which comes to include even the building a structure.

...because it was the custom of idolaters to plant trees by the entrances of their houses of idolatry....