Cytowanie Komentarza do Powtórzonego Prawa 7:5

The third is, You shall not establish for yourself an asherah — our Sages interpreted (Sanhedrin 7b) about one who appoints an unfit judge, [if it is] in a place of Torah scholars, it is as if he planted [an asherah] next to God’s altar. Similarly, they interpreted the verse You shall not make with Me gods of silver, etc. as referring to a god or judge appointed because of silver and gold. The concept of the asherah we learn from what is written: An altar of earth you shall make for Me — either filled with earth or adjacent to the earth. From all this we can learn that the Sanhedrin should also be humble in mind, for every humble and lowly person diminishes his full height toward the ground. Therefore it says He guides the humble in justice (Psalms 25:9). But one who is arrogant in rendering legal decisions is a fool, wicked, and haughty in spirit, for he does not judge deliberately since he is embarrassed to ask about his uncertainties.
It is known that sometimes an unfit judge is appointed because of his arrogance or the arrogance of his relatives and family who honor him so that he might be “fortunate” [meushar] in the land and bring them fame and praise, as suggested by the name “asherah” from the expression women have called me fortunate [ashruni banot]. Our Sages said (Sotah 5a) that anyone who has arrogance deserves to be cut down like an asherah tree, as it is written here and their asherah trees you shall cut down (Deuteronomy 7:5), and it is written there and the tall of stature shall be cut down (Isaiah 10:33).
What is the connection between an arrogant person and an asherah? It is because this unfit person is established for the fortune and praise of his relatives, and he is like an asherah tree that has many branches and leaves to sit in its shade. Similarly, they appoint him as a judge so that his relatives can sit in his shade. But in truth, their protection has departed from them, and there is no need to elaborate further on this.
And regarding what they said, “in a place of Torah scholars, it is as if he planted it next to the altar” — this is because that is where the Sanhedrin sits. For this reason they said, “before them and not before gentiles, etc.” because it is said Not because you are more numerous than all the peoples did the Lord desire you [and choose you, as you are the smallest] (Deuteronomy 7:7). And our Sages said in the tractate (Chullin 89a) that Israel diminishes themselves, unlike idolaters who are haughty and arrogant in spirit. Therefore, they are not fit for laws and judgments which they do not know, for their arrogance ruins all judgments.

ונתצתם את מזבחותם, “you shall break down all their altars;” the phrase is a repetition as it is needed for the other half, the commandment to wipe out the names of these deities, (at the end of the verse). ואשריהם תשרפון באש, “and burn their asherim by fire.” In Deuteronomy 7,5, the Torah instructed that the asherim ought to be hewn down, מגדעון. Our sages explain this difference by saying that if these trees had been planted before they had been worshipped whatever had grown after that has to be cut down. If they had been planted after on that site idolatry had already been practiced, the entire tree or trees have to be burned.

ופסילי אלהיהם תגדעון, “and the graven images of their deities you must cut down. In Deuteronomy 7,5, we read that ופסיליהם תשרפו באש, “and their carved images you must burn.” This refers to these images having been carved into the trunk of the tree while the tree was still planted in the earth. If a figure had been carved into the trunk after it had been cut down, you must burn the whole trunk of that tree. If he had cut down the image without burning the tree, the tree may remain standing. An alternate interpretation of the differing methods for destroying symbols of paganism: in both instances either cutting down such symbols or burning them is the appropriate method of destroying them.