Commentary for Avodah Zarah 94:13
<big><strong>מתני׳</strong></big> שלש אבנים הן אבן שחצבה מתחלה לבימוס הרי זו אסורה סיידה וכיידה לשם עבודת כוכבים נוטל מה שסייד וכייד ומותרת העמיד עליה עבודת כוכבים וסילקה הרי זו מותרת:
There are three kinds of [idolatrous] stones: A stone which a man hewed originally to serve as a pedestal [for an idol] — behold this is prohibited. If one plastered and tiled [a stone] for idolatry, one may remove the plaster and tile, and it is then permitted. If he set an idol upon it and took it off, behold [the stone] is permitted.
Daf Shevui to Avodah Zarah
Ami refers to the second clause in the mishnah. For it to become prohibited he must plaster or cement inside the stone itself, not merely on its outside. It seems that what he is trying to say is that for something to be considered an idol, it must be an idol “on the inside.” Almost the same way we treat human beings—our identity is formed more by our inside, than by our external features.
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