“Huna, our friend, we wish you peace!”: The Story of a Tense Correspondence between Rav Anan and Rav Huna (Ketubot 69a-b)
Outline
Rav Anan sends a letter to Rav Huna
Rav Huna sends Rav Sheshet to reply
Rav Sheshet communicates the message to Rav Anan
Rav Anan goes to Mar Ukva to consult with him about Rav Huna’s reply
The Passage
Rav Anan sends a message to Rav Huna
Rav Anan (a 2nd generation Babylonian amora) sent a message1 to Rav Huna with a greeting of peace (שלם - shelam) and a request: When the woman bearing the message arrives, she should be given one-tenth of her father’s estate.
שלח ליה רב ענן לרב הונא:
הונא חברין, שלם!
כי אתיא הא איתתא לקמך, אגביה עישור נכסי.
Rav Anan sent the following letter to Rav Huna:
Huna, our friend, we wish you peace!
When this woman bearing this letter comes before you, provide her one-tenth of her father’s estate.
Rav Huna sends Rav Sheshet to reply
Rav Huna instructed Rav Sheshet to deliver a reply to Rav Anan, cautioning that failure to convey the exact words would result in excommunication (שמתא).
The message asked whether the one-tenth should be provided from real estate (=land) or movable property, and included a question about who sits at the head in the house of a marzeiḥa (מרזיחא)2.
הוה יתיב רב ששת קמיה, אמר ליה:
זיל אימא ליה: ובשמתא יהא מאן דלא אמר ליה:
״ענן ענן! ממקרקעי או ממטלטלי?״
ו״מאן יתיב בי מרזיחא ברישא?״
Rav Sheshet was sitting before him, and Rav Huna said to him: Go and say to Rav Anan my reply. Knowing that Rav Sheshet may be hesitant to relay the sharp language of the reply, Rav Huna cautioned him:
And whoever does not say to him my exact words is in a state of excommunication:
Anan, Anan, should the one-tenth be provided from real estate or from movable property?
And, incidentally, tell me who sits at the head in the house of a marzeiḥa?
Rav Sheshet communicates the message to Rav Anan
Rav Sheshet respectfully delivered Rav Huna's message to Rav Anan, emphasizing Rav Huna's authority and the risk of excommunication for not conveying the exact words.
The message is communicated exactly as Rav Huna said it.
אזל רב ששת לקמיה דרב ענן, אמר ליה:
מר רבה, ורב הונא רביה דרבה,
ושמותי שמית מאן דלא אמר ליה,
ואי לאו דשמית, לא הוה קאמינא:
״ענן, ענן, ממקרקעי או ממטלטלי?
ומאן יתיב בי מרזיחא ברישא?״
Rav Sheshet went before Rav Anan and reverentially said to him, addressing him in the third person:
My Master is a teacher, but Rav Huna is the teacher of the teacher.
Moreover, he readily excommunicates whoever does not say to him, i.e., to you, my teacher, his precise message,
and if it were not that he would excommunicate me, I would not say his words:
Anan, Anan, should the one-tenth be provided from real estate or from movable property?
And, incidentally, tell me who sits at the head in the house of a marzeiḥa?
Rav Anan goes to Mar Ukva to consult with him about Rav Huna’s reply
Rav Anan consulted Mar Ukva about Rav Huna’s reply, expressing offense at being addressed informally as "Anan, Anan" and confusion over the term "marzeiḥa."
Mar Ukva asked for the details of their exchange.
After hearing the story, Mar Ukva explained that it was inappropriate for Rav Anan, who did not know what "marzeiḥa" meant, to have originally addressed Rav Huna informally (as “Huna, our friend”), justifying Rav Huna's offense.
The Talmud then clarifies that "marzeiḥa" means a mourner, based on a biblical verse from Jeremiah 16:5.
אזל רב ענן לקמיה דמר עוקבא,
אמר ליה: חזי מר היכי שלח לי?!:
רב הונא ״ענן ענן״,
ועוד, ״מרזיחא״ דשלח לי, [לא ידענא] מאי ניהו?
אמר ליה: אימא לי איזי, גופא דעובדא היכי הוה?
אמר ליה: הכי והכי הוה מעשה.
אמר ליה: גברא דלא ידע מאי ניהו ״מרזיחא״, שלח ליה לרב הונא ״הונא חברין״?!
מאי ״מרזיחא״ — אבל, דכתיב: ״כה אמר ה׳ אל תבא בית מרזח וגו׳״.
Rav Anan went before Mar Ukva to consult with him about Rav Huna’s reply.
He said to him: Let the Master see how Rav Huna sent me an offensive message, addressing me as Anan, Anan.
Moreover, with regard to this word marzeiḥa in the letter that he sent me, I do not know what it is.
Mar Ukva said to him: Say to me, my friend [izi], how the incident itself happened. What are the particulars of your exchange that brought about this end result?
He said to him: Such and such was the incident, and Rav Anan related the details to Mar Ukva.
He said to him: A man who does not know what a marzeiḥa is sends a letter to Rav Huna addressing him as Huna, our friend? It is not your place to take such liberties in your correspondence with him, and Rav Huna was justifiably offended.
The Talmud explains: What is a marzeiḥa? A mourner, as it is written: “For so says the Lord: Enter not into the house of mourning [marze’aḥ], neither go to lament, neither bemoan them” (Jeremiah 16:5).
Appendix - Anecdotes Relating to Dining Etiquette, Guest Conduct, and the Limits of Table Manners (Pesachim 86b)
Pesachim/86b#6 thru #10
R’ Ḥiyya bar Abba citing R’ Yoḥanan - Explains the Mishnah: the bride turns her face because she is embarrassed
הכלה הופכת את פניה וכו׳.
מאי טעמא?
אמר רבי חייא בר אבא, אמר רבי יוחנן:
מפני שהיא בושה.
It was taught in the Mishnah that a bride turns her face.
The Talmud asks: What is the reason she turns her face?
R’ Ḥiyya bar Abba said that R’ Yoḥanan said:
It is because she is embarrassed by other members of the group looking at her.
Anecdote of Rav Huna
רב הונא בריה דרב נתן איקלע לבי רב נחמן בר יצחק.
אמרו ליה: מה שמך?
אמר להו: רב הונא
In this regard, the Talmud relates that Rav Huna, son of Rav Natan, happened to come to the house of Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak.
They said to [Rav Huna]: What is your name?
[Rav Huna] said to them: Rav Huna,
even though using his title appeared to show conceit.
אמרו: ניתיב מר אפוריא!
יתיב
They said: Our master may sit on the bed due to his great stature.
[Rav Huna] sat immediately, despite the fact that common etiquette dictated that he initially refuse.
יהבו ליה כסא,
קבליה בחד זימנא
They gave [Rav Huna] a cup of wine
and [Rav Huna] accepted the first time,
without initially refusing it.
ושתייה בתרי זימני,
ולא אהדר אפיה.
And [Rav Huna] drank it in two sips
and did not turn his face from the rest of the people who were present.
Rav Huna explains why he called himself “Rav Huna” (with an honorific): he was already known by that name
אמרו ליה: מאי טעמא קרית לך רב הונא?
אמר להו:
בעל השם אני
These actions all appeared to be departures from the common etiquette and surprised his hosts,
and said to [Rav Huna]: What is the reason you call yourself Rav Huna?
[Rav Huna] said to them:
I am known by that name since my youth,
and therefore referring to myself with that title does not indicate conceit.
Rav Huna explains why he immediately sat on the bed when invited: one should obey the host’s instructions, except for an inappropriate instruction such as “leave”
מאי טעמא כי אמרו לך ניתיב אפוריא —
יתבת?
אמר להו:
כל מה שיאמר לך בעל הבית —
עשה (חוץ מצא).
They asked Rav Huna:
What is the reason that when they told you to sit on the bed,
you sat immediately and did not initially refuse?
[Rav Huna] said to them:
We have learned that anything the master of the house says to you —
you should do,
except for an inappropriate request, such as if he says to leave.
Rav Huna explains why he accepted the cup the first time: one may refuse a lesser person, but not a great person
מאי טעמא כי יהבי לך כסא —
קבלת בחד זימנא?
אמר להו:
מסרבין לקטן,
ואין מסרבין לגדול
They continued to question Rav Huna’s conduct:
What is the reason that when they gave you the cup —
you accepted it the first time and did not politely demur?
[Rav Huna] said to them:
One may refuse a lesser person,
but one may not refuse a great person;
when an important person makes a request, it is respectful to comply immediately.
Baraita, cited by Rav Huna - Drinking a cup in one gulp is gluttonous; in two sips is proper etiquette; in three sips is haughty
מאי טעמא אשתיתיה בתרי זימני?
אמר להו:
דתניא,
השותה כוסו
בבת אחת
הרי זה גרגרן,
שנים —
דרך ארץ,
שלשה —
מגסי הרוח
They persisted in their questioning of Rav Huna:
What is the reason you drank it in two sips?
[Rav Huna] said to them:
As it was taught in a baraita:
One who drinks his cup
at one time
is a guzzler (גרגרן);
drinking it in two sips
is proper manners (דרך ארץ - derekh eretz);
one who drinks his cup in 3 sips
is haughty (מגסי הרוח),
as he thereby demonstrates that he is pampered and indulgent.
Rav Huna explains why he did not turn his face while drinking: only a bride turns her face, as stated in the Mishnah
מאי טעמא לא אהדרת אפך?
אמר להו:
״כלה הופכת פניה״ תנן.
They continued to question Rav Huna’s conduct:
What is the reason you did not turn your face in accordance with the common etiquette?
[Rav Huna] said to them:
We learned in the Mishnah that a bride turns her face;
however, there is no reason for anyone else to turn his face.
Anecdote of R’ Yishmael b. Yosei at the house of R’ Shimon b. Yosei b. Lakonya
רבי ישמעאל ברבי יוסי איקלע לבי רבי שמעון ברבי יוסי בן לקוניא.
יהבו ליה כסא,
קבליה בחד זימנא
ושתייה בחד זימנא
The Talmud relates another incident that is somewhat similar to the one just quoted:
R’ Yishmael b. Yosei, happened to come to the house of R’ Shimon b. Yosei b. Lakonya.
They gave him a cup of wine to drink.
[R’ Yishmael b. Yosei] accepted it the first time it was offered
and drank it at one time.
אמרי ליה:
לא סבר לה מר
השותה כוסו בבת אחת —
הרי זה גרגרן?
They said to [R’ Yishmael b. Yosei]:
Does our master not hold of the halakha that
one who drinks his cup at one time —
is a guzzler?
R’ Yishmael b. Yosei qualifies the rule: one-gulp drinking is not gluttonous when the cup is small, the wine is sweet, and the drinker has a large stomach
אמר להו:
לא אמרי ב
כוסך קטן
ויינך מתוק
וכריסי רחבה.
[R’ Yishmael b. Yosei] said to them:
They did not say this rule with regard to
your small cup,
and your sweet wine,
and my wide stomach.
Steinzaltz translates “letter”, but this is not stated in the text; it may have been an oral message delivered verbatim via the woman herself, as with Rav Huna’s message via Rav Sheshet in the next part.