Virtue And  Morality 

תוקף ומוסר

Rabbi Yehoshua ben Hananya recounts three occasions when he lost an argument. Some involved explicit or tacit criticism of his qualities.  

Rabbi Yehoshua ben Hananya said: No person has ever prevailed over me in a dispute except for a woman, a small boy, and a small girl. What is the incident involving a woman? Once I was being hosted at a certain inn and the hostess prepared beans for me. On the first day I ate them and left nothing over. On the second day I also left nothing over. On the third day she over-salted them, rendering them inedible. As soon as I tasted them, I withdrew my hand from them and did not eat. 

She said to me: Rabbi, why aren’t you eating? I said to her: I already ate earlier in the day. She said to me: You should have withdrawn your hand from the bread [as then you would have had an appetite to eat the beans]. She said to me: Rabbi, perhaps you did not leave over food on the corner of your plate on the first days.<footnote data-num="45"/> Isn’t this what the Sages said: One does not leave over food in the corner of the pot, but one leaves over food in the corner of the plate? 

What is the incident involving a young girl? Once I was walking along the way, and the way passed through a field, and I was walking along it. A certain young girl said to me: Rabbi, isn’t this a field?<footnote data-num="46"/> I said to her: Isn’t it a well-trodden path [on which it is permitted to walk through a field]? She said to me: Robbers like you have trodden it.  

What is the incident involving a young boy? Once I was walking along the way, and I saw a young boy sitting at the crossroads. I said to him: On which path shall we walk to the city? He said to me: This path is short and long, and that one is long and short. Rabbi Yehoshua continued: I walked on the path that was short and long. When I approached the city I found that it was surrounded by gardens and orchards and there was no access to the city. 

I retraced my steps and said to the young boy: My son, didn’t you tell me that this way is short? He said to me: But didn’t I tell you that it is long too? I kissed him on his head and said to him: Happy are you, Israel, as you are all exceedingly wise, from your old to your young.  <source>(<i>Eiruvin</i> 53b) </source>