Reeh 12:03 · unit 5

TT #28 · Parashas Reeh · First Aliyah · Passuk 12:03

The Complete Passuk

וְנִתַּצְתֶּ֣ם אֶת־מִזְבְּחֹתָ֗ם וְשִׁבַּרְתֶּם֙ אֶת־מַצֵּ֣בֹתָ֔ם וַאֲשֵֽׁרֵיהֶם֙ תִּשְׂרְפ֣וּן בָּאֵ֔שׁ וּפְסִילֵ֥י אֱלֹֽהֵיהֶ֖ם תְּגַדֵּע֑וּן וְאִבַּדְתֶּ֣ם אֶת־שְׁמָ֔ם מִן־הַמָּק֖וֹם הַהֽוּא׃

You shall tear down their altars, smash their pillars, burn their asherim with fire, cut down the graven images of their gods, and destroy their name from that place.

Chabad.org — 12:03

Source Citation

Torah Temimah points to Sifrei / Avodah Zarah.

Sefaria — Avodah Zarah

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text
וְאִבַּדְתֶּם אֶת שְׁמָם – מַה תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר, וְהָא כְּבָר נֶאֱמַר אַבֵּד תְּאַבְּדוּן, אֶלָּא לְכַנּוֹת לָהּ שֵׁם הוּא דְּאָתָא. הָא כֵּיצַד, הָיוּ קוֹרִין אוֹתָהּ בֵּית גַּלְיָא קוֹרִין אוֹתָהּ בֵּית כַּרְיָא, עֵין כֹּל – קוֹרִין אוֹתָהּ עֵין קוֹץ.

English: “And you shall destroy their name” — What does the verse teach? It has already said “you shall utterly destroy.” Rather, it comes to require that one give it a disparaging name. How so? If they called it Beit Galia (“house of revelation”), call it Beit Karya (“house of digging/lowliness”); Ein Kol (“spring of all”) — call it Ein Kotz (“spring of thorn”).

On the daf / in context: Beyond physical destruction, one must replace any positive or neutral name of an idolatrous site with a pejorative designation.

Type of Learning

Derash on the verse (Sifrei / Bavli) — the obligation to rename idolatrous sites pejoratively.

What Is Learned

One must replace the name of an idolatrous place with a degrading name.