Beruriah (Berakhot 10a)

Rabbi Meir's wife Beruriah placates her husband's anger against some neighborhood thugs through a fresh interpretation of Ps. 104:35.   (Steinsaltz, p. 61).  Beruriah "was renowned not only for her character and personality, but also for her extensive Torah knowledge. . . . She disagreed with several Sages of her generation, and we find that the halakha in that dispute was ruled in accordance with her opinion."

The unvocalized word חטים can be read either as chotim (sinners) or chataim (sins).  When Beruriah points out that it doesn't say " sinners," the spelling of "sinners" is חוטים, an alternate spelling which could only mean "sinners," not "sins."  The shorter spelling found in the biblical text opens the door for her alternative interpretation.  In essence, she tells Rabbi Meir that, just as he has a choice about how to vocalize the text, he has a choice in his attitude toward these hooligans.