Powtórzonego Prawa 16:21 Komentarz: Rashi, Chizkuni, Da'at Zekenim & Ramban

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).

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, “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.