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.

How does he nullify it? [If] he pruned [it], or trimmed [it], [or] he took a stick from it or a twig —- even a leaf, it is nullified. [If] he shaved chips from it for its own needs, it remains prohibited; not for its own needs, it becomes permitted.

R’ Yishmael says: Three stones, one next to the other, [lying] next to a Marculis, are prohibited, but two are permitted. But the Sages say: Those which appear to be with it are prohibited, but those which do not appear to be with it are permitted.

[If] one found on top of it coins, [or] a garment, or utensils —- these are permitted; [but if he found] vines of grapes, or wreaths of grain-stalks . . . [they are] prohibited; or wines, oils, flours . . . [they are] prohibited; or anything the likes of which are brought on the [Temple] Altar —- [they are] prohibited.

[If] an idol had a garden or a bath, one may benefit from them without consideration, but one may not benefit from them for consideration. [If] it belonged to it and to others, one may benefit from them with or without consideration.

The idol of a gentile becomes prohibited immediately, but that of a Jew does not become prohibited until it is worshiped. A gentile can nullify his idol and that of his fellow [gentile], but a Jew cannot nullify a gentile’s idol. [If] one nullifies an idol, he has nullified its accessories. [If] he nullified its accessories, its accessories are permitted but it remains prohibited.

How does he nullify it? [If] he cut off the tip of its ear, the tip of its nose, the tip of its finger, [or] he dented it even though he did not diminish it —- he has nullified it. [If] he spit in front of it, urinated in front of it, dragged it [through mud], or threw excrement at it —- it is not nullified. [If] he sold it or gave it as a pledge, Rabbi says: He has nullified [it]. But the Sages say: He has not nullified [it].

An idol that was abandoned by its worshipers —- [if this occurred] in time of peace, it is permitted [for benefit]; in time of war, it is prohibited. Royal pedestals are permitted, because they erect them [only] when the kings pass.

They asked the elders in Rome: If He does not want idol worship, why does He not make it cease? They (the Sages) said to them: If they [the idolaters] would worship something which the world does not need, He would make it cease. But they worship the sun, the moon, the stars, and the constellations; should He destroy His world because of the fools! They said to them [to the Sages]: If so, let Him destroy the [idolatrous] things which the world does not need, and leave the [idolatrous] things which the world does need. They said to them: [Then] we, too, would lend support to the worshipers of these, be-cause they [would] say: You must perceive the proof that they are gods, for they have not ceased.

One may buy a trodden winepress from an idolater, even though he takes with his hand and places in the mound. And it does not become nesech-wine until it descends into the cistern. [If] it descended to the cistern, that which is in the cistern is prohibited, and the remainder is permitted.

One may tread with an idolater in the winepress, but one may not harvest grapes with him. [If] a Jew processes [his fruits] in a state of tumah, one may not tread nor may one harvest grapes with him; but one may transport barrels to the winepress with him, and carry away from the winepress with him. [If] a baker processes in tumah, one may not knead or roll dough with him; but one may transport bread to the retailer with him.

[If] an idolater was found standing beside a wine cistern: if he has a lien (lit., a loan) upon it, it is prohibited; if he does not have a lien upon it, it is permitted. [If] he fell into the cistern and came out, or he measured it with a reed, [or] he flicked out a hornet with the reed, or if he was tapping on top of a foaming barrel —- all these [cases] were actual incidents, and they said it should be sold. R’ Shimon, however, permits. [If] he took a barrel and threw it in his anger into the cistern, this was [once] an incident and they declared [it] fit.