Here we’ll talk about certain types of offerings for Avodah Zarah (idolatry) that would become prohibited. The Mishnah says that if somebody slaughters an animal for the sake of the mountains or hills, the seas or rivers, or deserts, the Shechitah (slaughter) is invalid, and the meat may not be eaten because the animal was slaughtered as an offering for Avodah Zarah. In the cases we’ve mentioned here, only eating the meat of the animal is forbidden; other types of benefit from the carcass would be permitted. This is even though normally, if an animal is slaughtered for Avodah Zarah, there is no benefit whatsoever—not only from eating it, but even from the body itself. What we’ve mentioned in these cases so far in our Mishnah would be exceptions to the rule.
Anything connected to the ground—that is, naturally attached to the ground—we say is not considered a full idol in this context. So if somebody slaughters an animal for something mentioned here, technically, on a biblical level, it is not considered to be Avodah Zarah. But the Hachamim (the Sages) made a decree and said, “We want to make sure that people don’t eat the meat of Avodah Zarah.” Therefore, if we allow them to eat the meat of things offered for the sake of the seas, for example, people are going to end up eating meat that was offered to Avodah Zarah, so they made a decree here.
But this only applies to a type of korban (offering) that was made to the mountain itself, not to an angel that would govern the mountain. That would be a regular case of Avodah Zarah. There can’t be any benefit from the animal. If two people hold a knife and slaughter an animal together, and one of them intends the Shechitah to be for the sake of one of the Avodah Zarah-type qualities we listed above, while the other person intends the Shechitah to be for something acceptable, the Shechitah is invalid. Even though it was only partly for Avodah Zarah, as long as part of it was for Avodah Zarah, we want to move away from it, and the whole Shechitah would be invalid.