You shall utterly destroy all the places where the nations that you are dispossessing served their gods: on the high mountains and on the hills and under every leafy tree.
English: “On the high mountains” — It was taught: The Torah spoke in its own terms, so that Israel should not say, “How are we commanded concerning idolatry when they are hidden in pits, ditches and caves?” Therefore the verse states “on the high mountains and on the hills and under every leafy tree.”
On the daf / in context: The public, visible locations listed in the verse make clear that the obligation applies even when the idolatry is not concealed.
Type of Learning
Derash on the verse (Sifrei) — the Torah’s choice of language to forestall a possible objection.
What Is Learned
The obligation to destroy idolatry is not limited to hidden sites; it applies to the open, elevated places as well.