Avodah Zarah Daf 52 עבודה זרח דַף 52

The Mishnah on the previous Daf taught that an עכו"ם’s idol becomes forbidden immediately, ושל ישראל אין אסורה עד שתיעבד – but a Jew’s idol is not forbidden until it is actually worshipped. This reflects Rebbe Akiva’s opinion, but Rebbe Yishmael holds the opposite, that a Jew’s idol is immediately forbidden, and an עכו"ם’s is only forbidden after being worshipped. The passuk commands to destroy all the places אשר עבדו שם הגוים – which the nations “worshipped.” This is explained to teach that utensils are only prohibited after being used for idolatry. Rebbe Yishmael darshens a היקש extending this law to their idols, but Rebbe Akiva disputes the היקש. Rebbe Yishmael says that a passuk about a Jew making an idol calls it "תועבת ה'" – an abomination of Hashem, implying that a Jew’s idol is immediately prohibited when it is made. Rebbe Akiva says that the passuk to burn פסילי אלהיהן – the carved images of their gods in fire teaches that משפסלו נעשה אלוה – from when he carves it, it becomes a (forbidden) god. He derives that a Jew’s idol is only prohibited after being worshipped from the passuk "ושם בסתר" – and place it in secret, teaching: עד שיעשה לה דברים שבסתר – it is not forbidden until he does “secretive acts” for it.

Rebbe Yose ben Shaul asked Rebbe: כלים ששימשו בהן בבית חוניו – Utensils which were used for service in Chonyo’s Temple, may they be used the Beis Hamikdash (assuming בית חוניו was not an idolatrous temple)? Kohanim who served in בית חוניו cannot serve in the Mikdash; does this penalty only apply to Kohanim, דבני דעה נינהו – who are intelligent beings and should not have served there, or does the penalty even include utensils? Rebbe replied that they are forbidden to be used. The Gemara attempts to support Rebbe from the fact that חשמונאים hid away stones of the מזבח used by the Greeks for idolatry (which they could not Biblically prohibit, since they were not theirs). However, Rav Pappa says they became Biblically prohibited, because of the passuk: ובאו בה פריצים וחללוה – and lawless people shall enter [the Mikdash] and profane it. The idolators’ entering the Mikdash made all its utensils chullin (and ownerless), so the idolators could acquire and prohibit them. Since the stones could not be used, they were hidden. Although Rav Oshaya taught that gold coins minted from hekdesh property became permitted for benefit when idolators entered the Mikdash, that gold was not used for עבודה; since these stones were used for עבודה, לאו אורח ארעא לאשתמושי בהו הדיוטא – it is not appropriate for a commoner to use them.

The next Mishnah states: עובד כוכבים מבטל עבודת כוכבים שלו ושל חבירו – an idolator can nullify his own idol or his fellow’s, וישראל אין מבטל עבודת כוכבים של עובד כוכבים – but a Jew cannot nullify an idolator’s idol. When Rebbe taught this version of the Mishnah to his son Rebbe Shimon, his son replied that in Rebbe’s youth, he had taught him that an idolator can also nullify the idol of a Jew!? Now, a Jew’s idol can never be nullified, as the passuk says: ושם בסתר – and place it in secret, so Rebbe Hillel brei d'Rebbe Valles explained that the case is שיש לו בה שותפות – where [the non-Jew] has a partnership in [the idol], and Rebbe originally taught that the עכו"ם can even nullify the Jew’s share. Rebbe initially held: ישראל אדעתא דעובד כוכבים פלח – the Jew only serves the idol according to his partner the idolator’s mindset, so when the עכו"ם nullifies his own share, the Jew’s share becomes בטל as well. However, in his older years, Rebbe held: ישראל אדעתא דנפשיה פלח – the Jew worships the idol according to his own mindset, so his share can never be nullified. Two more versions of this discussion are presented.