Quotation for Pesachim 51:6
איכא דאמרי אמר רבא מנא אמינא לה דתניא אמר ר' שמעון בן פזי אמר ר' יהושע בן לוי משום בר קפרא קול ומראה וריח אין בהן משום מעילה מעילה הוא דליכא הא איסורא איכא
But is that logical? Surely R'Simeon B'Pazzi said in R'Joshua B'Levi's name on Bar Kappara's authority: Sound, sight, and smell do not involve trespass?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' He who benefits from sacred things (hekdesh) commits trespass and is liable to a sacrifice. But no trespass is involved when he benefits by sound, sight or smell, e.g., when he hears the music in the Temple, sees the beauty of the Temple, or smells the frankincense. Consequently, even if workmen did look upon the Holy of Holies it would not really matter.');"><sup>6</sup></span>
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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