(ו) נוֹטֵל יָדָיו לְצֹרֶךְ טִבּוּל רִאשׁוֹן וְלֹא יְבָרֵךְ עַל הַנְּטִילָה, וְיִקַּח מֵהַכַּרְפַּס פָּחוֹת מִכַּזַּיִת, וּמְטַבְּלוֹ בְּחֹמֶץ, וּמְבָרֵךְ בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הָאֲדָמָה וְאוֹכֵל, וְאֵינוֹ מְבָרֵךְ אַחֲרָיו.
כי הוה ליה מילתא דאסותא הוי מלי כוזא דמיא ותלי ליה בסיפא דביתא ואמר כל דבעי ליתי ולישקול ואיכא דאמרי מילתא דשיבתא הוה גמיר והוה מנח כוזא דמיא ודלי ליה ואמר כל דצריך ליתי וליעול דלא לסתכן
כי הוה כרך ריפתא הוה פתח לבביה ואמר כל מאן דצריך ליתי וליכול אמר רבא כולהו מצינא מקיימנא לבר מהא דלא מצינא למיעבד
Another custom of Rav Huna was that when he had a new medicine, he would fill a water jug with the medicine and hang it from the doorpost of his house, saying: All who need, let him come and take from this new medicine. And there are those say: He had a remedy against the demon Shivta that he knew by tradition, that one must wash his hands for protection against this evil spirit. And to this end, he would place a water jug and hang it by the door, saying: Anyone who needs, let him come to the house and wash his hands, so that he will not be in danger.
The Gemara further relates: When Rav Huna would eat bread, he would open the doors to his house, saying: Whoever needs, let him come in and eat. Rava said: I can fulfill all these customs of Rav Huna, except for this one, which I cannot do,
רב הונא תקיפו ליה ארבע מאה דני דחמרא על לגביה רב יהודה אחוה דרב סלא חסידא ורבנן ואמרי לה רב אדא בר אהבה ורבנן ואמרו ליה לעיין מר במיליה אמר להו ומי חשידנא בעינייכו אמרו ליה מי חשיד קב"ה דעביד דינא בלא דינא
אמר להו אי איכא מאן דשמיע עלי מלתא לימא אמרו ליה הכי שמיע לן דלא יהיב מר שבישא לאריסיה
אמר להו מי קא שביק לי מידי מיניה הא קא גניב ליה כוליה
אמרו ליה היינו דאמרי אינשי בתר גנבא גנוב וטעמא טעים אמר להו קבילנא עלי דיהיבנא ליה איכא דאמרי הדר חלא והוה חמרא ואיכא דאמרי אייקר חלא ואיזדבן בדמי דחמרא:
The Gemara relates another story regarding acknowledgement of the justice of divine punishment: Four hundred barrels of Rav Huna’s wine fermented and turned into vinegar, causing him great financial loss.
Rav Yehuda, the brother of Rav Sala the Pious, along with the Sages, and some say Rav Adda bar Ahava, along with the Sages, entered to visit him, and said: The Master should examine his actions, as perhaps he committed a transgression for which he is being punished.
Rav Huna said to them: Am I suspect in your eyes? Have I committed a transgression on account of which you advise me to examine my behavior?
They said to him: Is the Holy One, Blessed be He, suspect that He exacts punishment without justice? Your loss was certainly just, and you must examine your conduct to find out why. The Sages were aware of a flaw in Rav Huna’s conduct, to which they alluded (Tosafot).
Rav Huna said to them: If someone has heard something improper that I have done, let him say so. They said to him: We have heard that the Master does not give a share of his grapevines to his tenant farmers. A tenant farmer is entitled to a portion of the crop grown on his landlord’s property, as well as a share of the vines planted during a given year.
Rav Huna said to them: Does this tenant farmer leave me anything from the produce that he grows on my property? He steals it all. Consequently, in denying him his share of the grapevines I am simply recouping that which was stolen from me by this tenant farmer.
They said to him: That is the meaning of the folk saying: One who steals from a thief has a taste of theft. Despite the fact that the property was stolen to begin with, one nevertheless engages in theft. Although he did not violate a prohibition per se, it is still a form of theft, and one who is held to a higher standard than others will be punished for it.
He said to them: I accept upon myself to give my tenant farmer his portion in the future.
Thereupon, as a result of Rav Huna’s repentance, God restored his loss. Some say his vinegar turned back into wine, and some say that the price of vinegar rose and it was sold at the price of wine.