Virtue And  Morality 

תוקף ומוסר

When Rav Huna’s wine fermented into vinegar, the other Sages told him that there must be significance in this and that it was apparently due to some prohibition he had violated. Rav Huna took inventory of his actions to determine where he had failed, remedied what required remedy, and the vinegar problem was resolved.  

Four hundred barrels of Rav Huna’s wine fermented into vinegar [resulting in significant financial loss]. Rav Yehuda, brother of Rav Sala the Pious, and the Sages, and some say it was Rav Adda bar Ahava and the Sages, entered to visit him, and said: The Master should examine his actions. Rav Huna said to them: Am I suspect in your eyes? They said to him: Is the Holy One, blessed be He, suspect of exacting punishment without justice?  

Rav Huna said to them: If there is anyone who heard something improper about my conduct, let him say so. They said to him: We heard that the Master does not give a share of his grapevines to his tenant farmer.<footnote data-num="44"/> Rav Huna said to them: Does this tenant farmer leave me anything from the crop? He steals it all. They said to him: That is what people say: One who steals from a thief tastes a taste of theft.  

He said to them: I accept upon myself to give my tenant farmer his portion. Some say his vinegar miraculously turned back into wine, and others say that the price of vinegar rose and it was sold at the price of wine. <source>(<i>Berakhot</i> 5b) </source>

When Rav Huna’s wine fermented into vinegar, the other Sages told him that there must be significance in this and that it was apparently due to some prohibition he had violated. Rav Huna took inventory of his actions to determine where he had failed, remedied what required remedy, and the vinegar pr