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The Law of Unintended

Consequences

The Temple’s Destruction and

Decaying Political Discourse

Rabbi Doron Perez

lexander the Great was not only Prof. Merton and unintended of their actions. If they were more patient
one of the greatest political consequences with a medium- to long-term worldview,
leaders of antiquity, but he also they would undoubtedly act differently.
Astudied philosophy under the Considering the consequences of our By not doing so, they often achieve what
tutelage of the distinguished Greek phi- actions is a critical principle both in our they want in the short-term, which then
losopher, Aristotle. Alexander pondered individual lives and for leaders making unleashes an unexpected snowball effect
some of the salient questions of life. One of decisions with communal and national in the long-term.
the rabbinic sources attesting to his thirst consequences. The great American sociol-
for wisdom is recounted in the Talmud ogist Robert K. Merton developed what Kamtza and Bar Kamtza
(Tamid 32) when during his Middle Eastern is known as “the law of unintended con- In the famous story of Kamtza and Bar
conquests, he presented ten philosophical sequences” in the course of his writings. Kamtza (Gittin 55) which led to the destruc-
questions to the ב ֶג ֶּנ ַה י ֵמ ְכ ַח – the Sages of Born with the distinctly Jewish name tion of the Temple, we see two critical deci-
the South. Meyer Robert Schkolnick, Merton is con- sions which our Sages identify as pivotal
sidered by many as the founding father of
One of those questions was – who is con- modern sociology. In an influential article reasons that caused the destruction of
sidered a wise person? What is the single entitled “The Unanticipated Consequences the Temple. Both fit into Merton’s third
quality necessary in order to be considered of Purposive Social Action” he argues that category – making short-sighted decisions,
wise and sagely? without enough foresight, and with disas-
there are 5 main causes that result in an trous consequences.
The Sages of the South answered simply: unintended consequence to a particular
“ד ָלֹוּנ ַה ת ֶא ה ֶאֹור ָה, one who has foresight,” action. The first was the cruel and unkind deci-
someone who is able to consider carefully The one I would like to focus on is his third sion of a prominent party host to throw
the consequences of their actions. his mistakenly invited enemy Bar Kamtza
one, described by Merton as “the imperious out of the party after confusing the name
Indeed this very same quality was iden- immediacy of interest.” By this, Merton is on the invitation with his friend Kamtza.
tified by the Sage of the Mishnah, Rabbi referring to instances in which individuals Ignoring Bar Kamtza’s pleas not to be
Shimon ben Netanel, as the most import- wish the intended consequence of an action humiliated and his offer to pay for half
ant quality that a person should cleave to so much that they either consciously or of the entire banquet, the host publicly
(Avot 2:13). Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai subconsciously choose to ignore any pos- humiliated Bar Kamtza by throwing
had questioned his five students as to sible undesired results – a type of willful him out the party. The host achieved his
what the most important quality of a ignorance. This happens when the decision short-term aim – alleviating himself of the
life is. Rabbi Shimon answered that the maker is pressed for an immediate result presence of his enemy at his banquet, but
quality of foresight is paramount of all and driven by agendas serving the imme- didn’t think about the chain reaction his
qualities, echoing the very same words diate and short-term, without careful con- actions would cause. Bar Kamtza was so
of the Sages of the South – ד ָלֹוּנ ַה ת ֶא ה ֶאֹור ָה. sideration of the long-term consequences upset, not only with the host but with the

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