<div dir="ltr"><div class="Ih2E3d">R. D. Schoemann wrote on Areivim:<br>> I'd rather see pictures and remain in the Holy Land. It's warmer,<br>> cheaper and faster.<br>><br>> As somebody who actually saw the Swiss Alps (and even spent a week<br>
> skiing on them as a teenager) all I can say is that the hills and<br>> mountains in Eretz Yisroel are just as lovely if not more so.<br><br></div>
<div class="gmail_quote">The gemara in Moed Katan 14a says that one is not permitted to leave<br>EY for the purpose of sightseeing.<br></div>
<div class="Ih2E3d"><br>On Tue, Dec 9, 2008 at 6:03 PM, Prof. Levine <<a href="mailto:llevine@stevens.edu">llevine@stevens.edu</a>> wrote on Areivim:<br>> His [RSRH's] writings reveal a poetic soul that never ceased to be<br>
> delighted by the wonders of creation. Typical of his attitude is the famous<br>> remark attributed to him, upon returning from a visit to Switzerland. "Now I<br>> can answer properly when Hashem asks me in the world of truth, 'Did you see<br>
> also My Switzerland?'<br><br></div>
<div class="gmail_quote">As RSRH did not live in EY, we don't know whether he would have said<br>that had he lived here. I have never heard an EY gadol encourage<br>people to leave EY in order to see the wonders of nature. I also note<br>
that David HaMelech wrote Barchee Nafshee about the wonders of EY.<br><br>On a personal note, I have done a good amount of mountain biking in EY<br>and have found the views to be spectacular. There is a tremendous<br>amount of topographical variation in such a small country. </div>
<div class="gmail_quote"><br>Kol tuv,<br>Moshe<br></div><br></div>