Avodah Zarah 53 – Idol Nullification

A non-Jewish idol worshipper can nullify his own idol and that of his fellow. He needs to be an adult and of sound mind. A Jew cannot nullify the idol of a non-Jewish idol-worshipper. If a Jew comes into actual possession of an idol, it cannot be nullified but has to be hidden. That law is from the Torah, derived from the phrase "And place it in secret."   However, the Sages have also prohibited a Jew from nullifying an idol, since he might accidentally pick it up, thereby acquiring it, and his nullification would be invalid.

How does an idol-worshipper nullify an idol? If he cut off the tip of its ear, the tip of its nose, or the tip of a finger, or flattened its face, he has nullified it. But if he spat before it, or urinated before it, or dragged it through the mud, or threw excrement at it – the idol is not nullified. If he sold it or pledged it as collateral for a loan, Rabbi Yehudah the Prince holds that its nullification is effective, whereas the Sages maintain that it is not.

Art: The Household Gods - John William Waterhouse