Avodah Zarah Daf 53 עבודה זרח דַף 53

The next Mishnah states: כיצד מבטלה – how does [an עכו"ם] nullify [an idol]? If he cut off the tip of its ear, nose, or finger, or dented it without diminishing it, it is nullified. But if he spat at it, relieved himself before it, etc., it is not nullified, because these are temporary acts of anger, and he will return to worship the idol afterwards. The Mishnah concludes: מכרה או משכנה – if he sold it or gave it as a deposit for a loan, Rebbe says it is nullified, but the Chochomim say it is not nullified. Rebbe Yochanan and Rav argue about this machlokes. One says: מחלוקת בצורף עובד כוכבים – the dispute in the Mishnah is about an idol sold to an idol-worshipping smelter (where the seller may assume the buyer will continue to worship it), אבל בצורף ישראל – but where he sold it to a Jewish smelter, everyone agrees it is בטל, because the Jewish buyer will likely smash it. The other says the machlokes is where it was sold to a Jewish smelter (because the seller may assume the Jew will sell the valuable idol to another idolator). The Gemara asks if this opinion holds that where it was sold to an עכו"ם, all agree it is not בטל, or that they argue about both. This question is not resolved.

Rav said: ישראל שזקף לבינה להשתחות לה – if a Yisroel stood up a brick to bow down to it, ובא עובד כוכבים והשתחוה לה – and an עכו"ם came beforehand and bowed down to it, he has prohibited it as a Jew’s idol, although it is not his. Rebbe Elazar gave the source: כתחילה של ארץ ישראל – it is like the beginning of Klal Yisroel’s conquest of Eretz Yisroel. Hashem commanded them to burn all the אשירה trees in the land, but since Klal Yisroel had inherited Eretz Yisroel from their forefathers, ואין אדם אוסר דבר שאינו שלו – and one cannot prohibit something which is not his, then how did the אשירה trees become prohibited? Although some trees were worshipped before Eretz Yisroel was given to Avraham, those could be nullified (as idols of an עכו"ם)!? Rather, when the Jews worshipped the עגל, גלו אדעתייהו דניחא להו בעבודת כוכבים – they revealed their mindset that avodah zarah was agreeable to them. Therefore, when the idolators worshipped their trees, שליחותא דידהו עבדי – they were acting in the agency of [the Jews], and the trees became idols of Jews, which cannot be nullified. Here, too, where a Jew stood up a brick for worship, the עכו"ם who comes and bows to it is acting in the Jew’s שליחות.

The next Mishnah states: עבודת כוכבים שהניחוה עובדיה – regarding an idol whose worshippers abandoned it, בשעת שלום – if they did so in a time of peace, and willingly abandoned the idol, it is nullified and permitted, but if they abandoned it בשעת מלחמה – during a time of war, it remains prohibited, since they did not willingly abandon it when they fled. Rav said that בית נמרוד – Nimrod’s building (i.e., the Tower of Bavel built under Nimrod’s rule) is like an idol which was abandoned בשעת שלום. Although, when Hashem scattered them, it was like a time of war, they could have returned afterwards to worship their idol. מדלא הדור בטולי בטלה – From the fact that they did not return, it proves they must have nullified it.