Admitting mistakes TB Gittin 43

I read a very interesting book Mistakes Were Made (but Not By Me): Why We Justify Foolish Beliefs, Bad Decisions, and Hurtful Acts by Carol Tavris and Elliot Aronson. The authors show in every profession people won’t admit a mistake even when facts prove otherwise. For example, doctors won’t admit misdiagnosing and  police won’t admit arresting the wrong person. Only when a third party who is not emotionally involved in the initial decision can see a mistake and correct it 

Rabba bar Rav Huna on today’s daf TB Gittin 43 is the exception that makes the rule. According to halakha, a Jew cannot marry a Canaanite slave. The Gemara is dealing with the question whether a Jew’s betrothal is effective with a Canaanite woman who is a half slave and a half free person. “Rabba bar Rav Huna taught this halakha in public: Just as the halakha is that in the case of one who betroths half a woman, she is not betrothed, so too, if there is a half-maidservant half-free woman who was betrothed, then her betrothal is not a valid betrothal.” (Sefaria.org translation)

Rav Ḥisda challenges Rabba bar Rav Huna analogy. “Rav Ḥisda said to him as a question: Are the cases comparable? There, where he betroths half a woman, he leaves a portion of the woman out of his acquisition. That is why the betrothal does not take effect. However, here, she was a half-maidservant half-free woman when he betrothed her, and he did not leave a portion of the woman out of his acquisition, so the betrothal should take effect.” (Sefaria.org translation)

Rabba bar Rav Huna didn’t double down and insist that he was correct. He immediately admitted that he was wrong and made sure that he corrected himself in public since his initial position was taught in public. “Rabba bar Rav Huna went back and placed an interpreter before him so that he could tell the public that he had been wrong, and he interpreted a verse homiletically. The verse states: “And let this stumbling-block be under your hand” (Isaiah 3:6). A person does not understand statements of Torah unless he stumbles in them. Therefore, I retract my previous statement and say that although the Sages said that in the case of one who betroths half a woman, she is not betrothed, however, if there was a half-maidservant half-free woman who was betrothed, then her betrothal is a valid betrothal. What is the reason for the distinction? There, he left a portion of the woman out of his acquisition; here, he did not leave a portion of the woman out of his acquisition.” Rabba bar Rav Huna went back and placed an interpreter before him so that he could tell the public that he had been wrong, and he interpreted a verse homiletically. The verse states: “And let this stumbling-block be under your hand” (Isaiah 3:6). A person does not understand statements of Torah unless he stumbles in them. Therefore, I retract my previous statement and say that although the Sages said that in the case of one who betroths half a woman, she is not betrothed, however, if there was a half-maidservant half-free woman who was betrothed, then her betrothal is a valid betrothal. What is the reason for the distinction? There, he left a portion of the woman out of his acquisition; here, he did not leave a portion of the woman out of his acquisition.” (Sefaria.org translation)

Who hasn’t made a mistake? Making mistakes is just part of the learning process. How else would we grow if we claimed all mistakes were made by others and not us?! We would do well to follow Rabba bar Rav Huna’s example by admitting a mistake and immediately correcting it.