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 She said to me: You should have withdrawn your hand from the bread [as then you would have had an appetite to eat the beans].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. 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? 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. (Eiruvin 53b)