What are the reasons, I can understand to reduce the time your in contact with evil, you run past the tree used for idoltry. But is there a more elegant reason and from where do we know or derive this reason out?
Binyomin Cohen, Brooklyn, NY
Tosfos earlier (17b, DH "Neizil") states that from the Pasuk "Al Tikrav El Pesach Beisa" -- "don't come close to the doorway of her house" which refers to Avoda Zara, we see that one should stay as far away from the opening to an Avoda Zara as much as possible. This would seem to certainly apply to an Asheirah tree, which is an Avoda Zara itself! Especially before the Yetzer Hara of Avoda Zara was killed, there was a tremendous temptation to serve Avoda Zara which we cannot even fathom. This is perhaps best known from the Gemara in Sanhedrin (102b) where King Menashe appeared to Rav Ashi in a dream and said that if Rav Ashi would have lived in his time, he would have lifted up his cloak to run faster towards Avoda Zara. It is therefore appropriate that even today one should distance himself as much as possible from such a serious sin.
All the best,
Yaakov Montrose