עבודה זרה ג׳:ו׳ - ג׳:ז׳

סמוך לע"ז – that one of his walls is a house for idolatry and the hose itself is worshipped.

אסור לבנותו – for he is building a house for idolatry.

כונס לתוך קרקע שלו ד' אמות – and he does not leave it empty as it is found benefitting idolatry as it extends its boundary, but he fills the place with thorns and makes there a toilet for young children.

היה שלו ושל ע"ז – for the place of the beams of the walls, half of it is his.

נדון מחצה על מחצה – that portion of idolatry does not count in the bringing it inside [within his own property] four cubits but his part counts, for if its beams are two cubits, he counts one cubit of his own and brings it [an additional] three cubits within his own.

אבניו עציו ועפריו – of that wall

מטמאין כשרץ – which defiles like an unclean reptile, and even the section of the Israelite since there is no choice.

כשרץ – that ritually defiles through contact because the defilement of idolatry is Rabbinic, they were lenient concerning it, and it does not defile like a lentil like an unclean reptile, but rather in an olive’s bulk like [contact] with the dead.

רבי עקיבא אומר כנדה – But the Halakha is not according to Rabbi Akiva even with idolatry itself, and all the more so, with those who use it.

שלשה בתים הם – regarding the matter of abrogation of idolatry.

בית – the beginning of its building is for idolatry. This is prohibited.

סיידו וכיירו לעבודה זרה – that it was built ab initio as a human dwelling. And plastered it – who whiten it with plaster and cementing/putting tiles, engraving and doing embroidery.

וחידש – or renewed.

נוטל מה שחידש – and all the rest of the house is permitted.

הכניס לתוכו ע"ז – by the hour, and he did not designate it for the usage of idolatry.

שלש אבנים הם – for the matter of abrogation.

אבן שחצבה מתחלה – from the mountain.

לבימוס – to place idolatry upon it.

סיידה וכיירה – and it was hewn and standing.

נוטל – an Israelite,

מה שחידש – what was new, the adornment and the stone are permitted.

העמיד עליה ע"ז – by the hour, and he did not designate the stone for a pedestal [for an idol].

וסילקה – this is permitted, and does not need abrogation.

גדעו – for the purposes of idolatry to worship the growths that took place upon it from now.

נוטל מה שהחליף – the branches that grew in place of those that he lopped off and he burned them according to the law of Asherah/tree devoted to idolatry, the remainder is permitted.

איזו היא אשרה – In the Gemara (Tractate Avodah Zarah 48a) it explains that the three Asherot that are taught in the Mishnah are referred to above and this is what is taught: There are three Asherot – two of them are held by everyone and on one there is the dispute between Rabbi Shimon and the Rabbis. And what is the Asherah that Rabbi Shimon and the Rabbis? All [trees] that have under them idolatry, for the Rabbis call them a tree devoted for idolatry and prohibits them all the while that there is idolatry underneath it, and Rabbi Shimon states that it is not Asherah but rather everyone worships it, but all [trees] which have underneath them idolatry, this is not an Asherah. But the Halakha is not according to Rabbi Shimon.