Quotation for Pesachim 51:5
ותסברא והאמר ר' שמעון בן פזי א"ר יהושע בן לוי משום בר קפרא קול ומראה וריח אין בהן משום מעילה אלא מעלה עשו בבית קדשי הקדשים
so that they might not feast their eyes on the Holy of Holies. Now here it was impossible [to avoid going there], and he [the workman] intended [to gaze at the Holy of Holies], and it was forbidden.
Contemporary Halakhic Problems, Vol VI
The remaining factor to be considered is whether mere visual examination undertaken solely for aesthetic or recreational purposes constitutes a forbidden form of benefit. "Benefit," in the fundamental halakhic meaning of the term, connotes tangible physical benefit such as eating, drinking, anointing the skin or financial enrichment. Thus, the Gemara, Pesaḥim 26a, declares, "Sound, sight and smell do not constitute me'ilah (kol, mareh vareaḥ ein ba-hen mishum me'ilah)." "Me'ilah" refers to prohibited use of consecrated property for mundane benefit. In context, the Gemara is defining and limiting the concept of hana'ah, or benefit. Although other forms of sensual pleasure do constitute hana'ah, benefit derived by means of "sight" does not rise to the level of a prohibited "benefit." The principle is made explicit with regard to the prohibitions concerning me'ilah but, logically, it is equally applicable to all categories of issurei hana'ah.
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