[Avodah] ra-ah - da-ah (from areivim)

[saul mashbaum]

RETurkel cited the following rabbinic statement: "Tanna: omedet (kan) b'Bavel v'ro'ah n'veilah b'Eretz Yisrael."

Aside from being a statement in Yalkut Shimoni, as several list members eruditely pointed out, this is an open g'mara, Chullin 63b.
In the context of the g'mara, this is a morally neutral statement; the g'mara is describing the excellent vision of the bird in question, not passing judgement on it or explaining why it is a tamei bird.
That's on the literal level. Homiletically, IMNSHO this phrase very aptly describes those who live in chu"l and are constantly harping on things in Israel.

Is "being in Bavel and seeing n'veila in Israel" a good thing, as RZS maintains, or a bad one? I guess it depends on whether you are a vulture or a person. 
Saul Mashbaum
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