[Avodah] [Areivim] Seeing the Swiss Alps (Was OU Kashruth home page)

[Moshe Feldman]

I wrote:
>> The gemara in Moed Katan 14a says that one is not permitted to leave
>> EY for the purpose of sightseeing.
>
> This is paskened (impliedly) in SA OC 531:4 (see MB sk 14 at end).

On Tue, Dec 9, 2008 at 10:51 PM, Prof. Levine <llevine at stevens.edu>
wrote on Areivim:
>
> Yes, but to go to the Swiss Alps to see them through the eyes of RSRH might
> be considered a Torah exercise, not a sightseeing trip.  Please see
>
> http://www.stevens.edu/golem/llevine/rsrh/wandering_jew_259_60.pdf
> especially the bottom of 259 and 260.

Of course it could be considered a Torah exercise.  After all, kol
maasecha yi'heyu l'shem shamayim refers even to a dvar ha'reshus.

However, the halacha is that one may not leave EY for a dvar reshus.
According to some (based on the simple interpretation of the Rambam
Hil. Melachim 5:9), one may leave only to marry, learn Torah or earn
money, but for no other mitzvos.  According to others (cited in
Yechave Daas 5:57), one may leave to perform any mitzvah.  However,
according to Yechave Daas (see also  Rav Kook Shu"t Mishpatei Cohen
147), there is a difference of opinion whether going to visit graves
of tzadikim constitutes a mitzvah, even if it is a positive thing.
That shows that a dvar ha'reshus which is done l'shem shamayim does
not constitute a mitzvah for the purpose of leaving EY.

Certainly, the gemara MK 14a, which says that one is penalized for
leaving EY l'tayel in Chu"l, does not distinguish between whether or
not one has proper kavannah l'shem shamayim while being metayel.

Kol tuv,
Moshe