Asherah

Sources

You shall not set up a sacred post—any kind of pole beside the altar of your God יהוה that you may make—

Deuteronomy 16:21

Thereupon they answered Jeremiah—all the men who knew that their wives made offerings to other gods; all the women present, a large gathering; and all the people who lived in Pathros in the land of Egypt: “We will not listen to you in the matter about which you spoke to us in the name of GOD. On the contrary, we will do everything that we have vowed—to make offerings to the Queen of Heaven and to pour libations to her, as we used to do, we and our ancestors, our kings and our officials, in the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem…

Jeremiah 44:15-19

Then the king ordered the high priest Hilkiah, the priests of the second rank, and the guards of the threshold to bring out of the Temple of GOD all the objects made for Baal and Asherah and all the host of heaven. He burned them outside Jerusalem in the fields of Kidron, and he removed the ashes to Bethel. He suppressed the idolatrous priests whom the kings of Judah had appointed to make offerings at the shrines in the towns of Judah and in the environs of Jerusalem, and those who made offerings to Baal, to the sun and moon and constellations—all the host of heaven. …

II Kings 23:4-7

So, too, with the words asher (which) and asherah. It says, ‘Thou shalt not plant thee an Asherah (grove) of any kind of tree beside the altar of the Lord thy God which (asher) thou shalt make thee.’ Are we to suppose that anywhere else it is permitted? The truth is that the He ‘ is called Asherah, after the name of its spouse, Asher, and the meaning of the verse is therefore: ‘thou shalt not plant another asherah by the side of the altar which is established upon this.’

Zohar, Bereshit 81:210

THOU SHALT NOT PLANT THEE AN ASHEIRAH. Any tree planted at the entrance of a house of G-d is called asheirah. Possibly because it ordereth the way aright, directing people’s “steps” [to worship], it is called [asheirah] from the word ‘ashurai’ (my steps) have held fast to Thy paths. Scripture thus admonishes not to plant a tree beside the altar of G-d for beauty and to think that it is an honor and glory to G-d’s altar. He prohibited it because it was a custom of the idolaters to plant trees at the entrances of their idol’s temples, as it is written…

Ramban on Deuteronomy 16:21:1

Observe that throughout the Scriptures the worshippers of the sun are called servants of Baal and the worshippers of the moon servants of Asherah; hence the combination ‘to Baal and Asherah.’ If this is so (that Asherah is the name of the He’), why is it not used as a sacred name? The reason is that this name brings to mind the words of Leah, ‘happy am I, for the daughters will call me happy (ishruni)’, but this one is not ‘called happy’ by other nations, and another is set up in its place; nay more, it is written, ‘all that honoured her despise her’ (Lam. 1, 8)…

Zohar, Bereshit 81:211

He slew on the altars all the priests of the shrines who were there, and he burned human bones on them. Then he returned to Jerusalem.

Idolators who worship the mountains and the hills, even though [the mountains and hills] are permitted, their worshippers should be stoned. A person who is worshipped, even though he is permitted [to live], his worshippers are stoned. Which is the asherah? All which idolators worship and guard them and do not taste of their fruits. Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar says, There are three asherahs in Eretz Yisrael: a carob in Kfar Patam, and [a carob] in Kfar Pigshah, [and] a sycamore in Rani and in Karmel. They plant vegetables under an asherah in the rainy season but not in the dry season…

Tosefta Avodah Zarah 7:4

MISHNA: There are three types of trees that were used as part of idolatrous rites [ashera]: A tree that one initially planted for the sake of idol worship is forbidden, and one may not derive benefit from any part of the tree. If one lopped off part of the trunk of a tree or trimmed its branches for the sake of idol worship, i.e., to worship that which would regrow there, and the tree’s trunk or limbs regrew, one removes that which has regrown and burn it. The remainder of the tree is then permitted…

Avodah Zarah 48a:1-13

The children gather sticks, the fathers build the fire, and the mothers knead dough, to make cakes for the Queen of Heaven, and they pour libations to other gods, to vex Me.

The mishna asks: And for what reason, then, is an ashera forbidden? Doesn’t the verse also state: “And under every leafy tree,” which indicates that the mitzva to destroy objects of idol worship does not apply to the trees themselves? The mishna answers: It is because it is the product of human involvement and did not grow by itself, and the halakha is that anything that is the product of human involvement is forbidden. Rabbi Akiva says: I will explain and decide the matter before you…

Avodah Zarah 45a:3-4

Josiah also did away with the necromancers and the mediums, the oracle idols and the fetishes—all the detestable things that were to be seen in the land of Judah and Jerusalem. Thus he fulfilled the terms of the Teaching recorded in the scroll that the priest Hilkiah had found in the House of GOD.

He brought all the priests from the towns of Judah [to Jerusalem] and defiled the shrines where the priests had been making offerings—from Geba to Beer-sheba. He also demolished the shrines of the gates that were at the entrance of the gate of Joshua, the city prefect—which were on the left as one [entered] the city gate. The priests of the shrines, however, did not ascend the altar of GOD in Jerusalem, but they ate unleavened bread along with their kinsmen. He also defiled Topheth, which is in the Valley of Ben-hinnom…

II Kings 23:8-15

At the king’s summons, all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem assembled before him. The king went up to the House of GOD, together with the entire citizenry of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the priests and prophets—all the people, young and old. And he read to them the entire text of the covenant scroll that had been found in the House of GOD. The king stood by the pillar and solemnized the covenant before GOD: that they would follow GOD and observe God’s commandments, injunctions…

II Kings 23:1-3

An ‘orlah walnut which one planted, and similarly, an egg of idol worship which turned into a chick. Rebbi Ḥaggai in the name of Rebbi Josia: Ḥizqiah and Cahana differ. Cahana said it is permitted, Ḥizqiah said it is forbidden. In the opinion of Ḥizqiah it should be impossible for an egg of idol worship to become a chick. What is this about? If someone squashed it, there is no chick. If he brought it inside the lattice enclosure, come and look: If he worshipped it it is not forbidden; because he brought it inside the grating should it be forbidden? Rebbi Yudan the father of Rebbi…

Jerusalem Talmud Orlah 1:5:8

MISHNA: If one took wood from an ashera, it is prohibited to derive benefit from it. In a case where one kindled a fire in an oven with the wood, if it is a new oven and by kindling the fire he hardened the oven and made it stronger for use in the future, then the oven must be shattered. Since forbidden items were used in the process of forming the oven, one may not derive benefit from the use of the forbidden items. But if it is an old oven it may be cooled…

Avodah Zarah 49b:1-2

Ameimar said: This too was stated by the elders of Pumbedita, as it was stated that the amora’im disagreed with regard to which tree is presumed to be a tree designated for idolatry [asheira], even though no one actually saw it worshipped. Rav said: It is any tree that idolatrous priests guard.

Eruvin 79b:17-18

Her ways are pleasant ways,
And all her paths, peaceful.

Relatedראו גם

The Tree of Life

Laws of Dissociation from Idolatry and its Worshippers

Laws of Objects of Foreign Worship

Parashat Shoftim

Sheetsדפי מקורות

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