[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.”