[If] one’s house adjoined an idolatrous shrine and it collapsed, he is forbidden to rebuild it. How shall he do [it]? He with-draws four cubits into his own [property] and builds. [If] it belonged both to him and the idolatrous shrine, it is judged to be half and half. Its stones, timber, and mortar contaminate with tumah as does the sheretz, as it says: You shall utterly detest it. R’ Akiva says: As does the menstruant, as it says: You shall scatter them afar as the menstruant, “Get out!” you shall say to it. Just as a menstruant contaminates with tumah by being carried, so too an idolatrous object contaminates with tumah by being carried.

There are three [categories of idolatrous] buildings: A building which was constructed from the very beginning for idolatrous worship is prohibited; [if] he whitewashed it and decorated it for idolatrous worship or made renovations, one removes what he renovated; [if] he brought an idol into it and took it out, it is permitted.  There are three [categories of idol-atrous] stones: A stone which he hewed from the very beginning for a pedestal is prohibited; [if] he whitewashed it and dec-orated it for idolatrous worship or he made renovations, one removes what he renovated; [if] he mounted an idol upon it and removed it, it is permitted. There are three [categories of] asheros: A tree which he planted from the very beginning for the purpose of idolatrous worship is prohibited; [if] he lopped it or trimmed it for the purpose of idolatrous worship and it sprouted, one removes whatever sprouted; [if] he set an idol underneath it and nullified it, it is permitted.  Which is the asherah? Any one be-neath which there is an idol. R’ Shimon says: Any one that they worship. And it happened in Sidon regarding a tree which they worshiped, that they found beneath it a mound. R’ Shimon said to them, “Inspect this mound.” They inspected it, and found an image in it. He said to them, “Since they worship the image, we will permit the tree to them.”

One should not sit in its shade, but if he sat, he remains tahor. He should not pass under it, and if he did pass, he is tamei. [If] it encroached upon the public and one passed beneath it, he is tahor.  It is permitted to plant vegetables beneath it in the winter, but not in the summer; and lettuce, neither in the summer nor in the winter. R’ Yose says: [He may] not [plant] vegetables even in the winter, because the foliage falls upon them and becomes fertilizer for them.

[If] he took pieces of wood from it, they are prohibited for benefit. [If] he fired an oven with them —- if it is a new one, it must be shattered; and if it is an old one, it must be allowed to cool. [If] he baked bread in it, it is pro- hibited for benefit. [If] it became mixed with others, they are all prohibited for benefit. R’ Eliezer says: He should cast the [equivalent] benefit to the Dead Sea. They said to him: There is no redemption for idolatrous objects.  [If] he took a shuttle from it, it is prohib-ited for benefit. [If] he wove a garment with it, the garment is prohibited for benefit. [If] it became mixed with others, and the others with [still] others, they are all prohibited for benefit. R’ Eliezer says: He should cast the [equivalent] benefit to the Dead Sea. They said to him: There is no redemption for idolatrous objects.