Megillah 28A

ולא ברכתי לפני כהן, ולא אכלתי מבהמה שלא הורמו מתנותיה.

And I never recited Grace after Meals in the presence of a priest, but rather I gave him the privilege to lead. And I never ate from an animal whose priestly portions, i.e., the foreleg, the jaw, and the maw, had not already been set aside.

דאמר רבי יצחק אמר רבי יוחנן: אסור לאכול מבהמה שלא הורמו מתנותיה. ואמר רבי יצחק: כל האוכל מבהמה שלא הורמו מתנותיה, כאילו אוכל טבלים. ולית הלכתא כוותיה.

Another example of R' Perida’s meticulous behavior is based on that which R' Yitzḥak said that R' Yoḥanan said: It is prohibited to eat meat from an animal whose priestly portions have not been set aside. And R' Yitzḥak said: Anyone who eats meat from an animal whose priestly portions have not been set aside is regarded as if he were eating untithed produce. The Talmud comments: And the halakha is not in accordance with his opinion. Rather, it is permitted to eat meat from such an animal. Nevertheless, R' Perida acted stringently and did not eat from it.

ולא ברכתי לפני כהן,

The Talmud considers another of R' Perida’s actions: He said: And I never blessed Grace after Meals in the presence of a priest, but rather I gave him the privilege to lead.

למימרא דמעליותא היא? והא אמר רבי יוחנן: כל תלמיד חכם שמברך לפניו, אפילו כהן גדול עם הארץ ⁠— אותו תלמיד חכם חייב מיתה, שנאמר: ״כל משנאי אהבו מות״. אל תקרי ״משנאי״, אלא ״משניאי״.

Is this to say that doing so is especially virtuous? But hasn’t R' Yoḥanan said: Any Torah scholar who allows someone else to bless Grace after Meals in his presence, i.e., to lead for him, even if that person is a High Priest who is an am ha'aretz, then that Torah scholar is liable to receive the death penalty for belittling his own honor? This is as it is stated: “All those who hate me, love death” (Proverbs 8:36). Do not read it as “those who hate Me [mesan’ai],” rather read it as though it said: Those who make Me hated [masni’ai]. The honor due to a Torah scholar is representative of the honor of God in the world. Therefore, by belittling his own honor, he causes others to fail to respect God, which can ultimately develop into hate. If so, why did R' Perida consider his behavior to be so deserving of praise?