Avodah Zarah 45B

והכא באילן שנטעו ולבסוף עבדו קמיפלגי, תנא קמא סבר: אילן שנטעו ולבסוף עבדו ⁠— מותר, ורבי יוסי הגלילי סבר: אילן שנטעו ולבסוף עבדו ⁠— אסור.

And here, they disagree with regard to the status of a tree that one planted and only subsequently worshipped. The first tanna holds that a tree that one planted and subsequently worshipped is permitted, and R' Yosei HaGelili holds that a tree that one planted and subsequently worshipped is forbidden.

ממאי? מדקתני סיפא: מפני מה אשירה אסורה? מפני שיש בה תפיסת ידי אדם, וכל שיש בו תפיסת ידי אדם אסור. ״וכל שיש בו תפיסת אדם״ לאתויי מאי? לאו לאתויי אילן שנטעו ולבסוף עבדו?

The Talmud asks: From where does Rav Sheshet infer that R' Yosei HaGelili holds that such a tree is forbidden? It is from the fact that the Mishnah teaches in the last clause: For what reason is an ashera forbidden? 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. What is added by the generalization: And anything that is the product of human involvement is forbidden? Is it not added to include the case of a tree that one planted and subsequently worshipped?

ואף רבי יוסי ברבי יהודה סבר: אילן שנטעו ולבסוף עבדו ⁠— אסור, דתניא: רבי יוסי ברבי יהודה אומר, מתוך שנאמר: ״אלהיהם על ההרים״⁠ — ולא ההרים אלהיהם, ״אלהיהם על הגבעות״⁠ — ולא גבעות אלהיהם, שומע אני ״תחת כל עץ רענן אלהיהם״⁠ — ולא רענן אלהיהם?

The Talmud notes: And R' Yosei, son of R' Yehuda, also holds that a tree that one planted and subsequently worshipped is forbidden. As it is taught in a baraita with regard to the verse: “You should destroy all the places where the nations that you are to dispossess served their gods, upon the high mountains, and upon the hills, and under every leafy tree” (Deuteronomy 12:2): R' Yosei, son of R' Yehuda, says: From that which is stated in the verse: “You should destroy…their gods, upon the high mountains,” from which the rabbis derived: But not the mountains themselves that are their gods, and: “You should destroy…their gods…upon the hills,” but not the hills themselves if they are their gods, I would derive from the next clause in the verse: “Their gods…under every leafy tree,” that the mitzva to destroy an object of idol worship does not apply to the leafy trees themselves that are their gods.