Seeing Consequences: The Moral Wisdom of Ro'eh es haNolad

Full Summary

This shiur begins with an analysis of Rashi (רש"י)'s interpretation of the famous stories that led to the destruction of three Jewish cities: Yerushalayim (due to Kamsa bar Kamsa), Tur Maaka, and Bethar. The rabbi challenges the common understanding that these destructions occurred because the Jews acted foolishly, noting that it seems obvious that attacking Roman soldiers would provoke retaliation. According to Rashi, the real problem was that they didn't see the 'nolad' - they failed to anticipate consequences. The discussion then pivots to examine what 'ro'eh es haNolad' truly means through a detailed analysis of Pirkei Avos. The Mishnah (משנה) lists various paths a person should follow: good eye, good friend, good neighbor, good heart - all character traits requiring tremendous personal development. Yet Rabbi Shimon suggests 'ro'eh es haNolad' as the ideal path, and its opposite - borrowing without repaying - as the worst trait. The rabbi explains that this isn't about obvious intelligence (don't borrow if you can't repay), but about a sophisticated moral concept. Using the example of someone who borrows money and then faces an emergency (daughter needs dental work, wife having breakdown, car breaks down), he demonstrates that 'lo yavar rasha v'eino meshalem' refers to someone who unilaterally decides to use borrowed money for other purposes, even legitimate emergencies, without consulting the lender. The core insight emerges: ro'eh es haNolad means taking responsibility for the consequences of our actions even when those actions are correct. The rabbi illustrates this with the halachic obligation to remove a disruptive student from school. Even though this is required (the student is like a 'rodef'), we must consider what happens to that child - likely ending up in public school and potentially going off the derech. The school must do its duty, but should also try to maintain some connection with the expelled student. This principle extends to the case of killing a rodef (pursuer). While halachically required, the act creates widows and orphans. Ro'eh es haNolad obligates us to help the rodef's family despite having done the right thing. This represents an extraordinarily high level of morality - taking objective responsibility for all consequences of our actions, not just asking whether we're 'good' or 'bad.' The shiur concludes by applying this framework to understand Rashi's interpretation of the Kamsa bar Kamsa story. The host was completely justified in ejecting an unwelcome guest who was deliberately causing disruption. However, the rabbis present failed to see the nolad - they didn't consider the humiliation and consequences that would result, even from a justified action. This failure to maintain an objective, comprehensive view of the situation's full impact represents the moral failing that contributed to Jerusalem's destruction.