Commentary for Avodah Zarah 103:13
ואידך נפקא ליה מדרב חסדא אמר רב דאמר רב חסדא אמר רב מנין לעבודת כוכבים של ישראל שטעונה גניזה שנאמר (דברים טז, כא) לא תטע לך אשרה כל עץ אצל מזבח מה מזבח טעון גניזה אף אשרה טעונה גניזה
And from where does the other [i.e., R. Akiva, derive this rule]? He derives it from what R. Hisda said in the name of Rav: From where do we know that an idol belonging to an Israelite must be removed from sight? As it is stated, “You shall not plant for yourself an asherah of any kind of tree beside the altar” (Deuteronomy 16:21): just as an altar must be removed from sight, so too an asherah [belonging to an Israelite] must be removed from sight.
Daf Shevui to Avodah Zarah
Akiva derives the rule about removing idolatry belonging to an Israelite from a different verse. The Torah seems to make a puzzling comparison between an asherah tree and the altar. R. Hisda learns from here that just as the stones of the altar (when it needs to be replaced) must be removed (they must be placed in the geniza), so too idols made by a Jew must also be removed. Interestingly we see that a geniza is word used for both the holiest of objects, the altar, and the most profane of objects, an idol. Both are things that we are supposed to not make use of, at least not in our regular lives.
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