Having discussed the three similar categories of people: mourner, excommunicated one and metzora (spiritual leper), the Talmud discusses specifically the laws of one who is excommunicated. Here is one example.
Rabbi Yehudah the Prince once decreed that Torah should not be taught in public. What was his source? – The Song of Songs, which said, “Your hidden thighs are like jewel, the work of a master's hand.” He then reasoned: just as the thigh is kept private, so the words of the Torah, the masterwork of God, should be only taught in private.
However, Rabbi Chiya, his nephew, taught Torah in public, to two great relatives of his: Rav and Rabbah bar bar Chanah. Rabbi Yehudah heard and was upset. Rabbi Chiya went to visit him, and Rabbi Yehudah said, “Iya, who is calling you outside?” This was a derogatory name, and Rabbi Chiya understood that his uncle was upset, so he conducted himself as if he were excommunicated, for thirty days.
On the thirtieth day, Rabbi Yehudah called for his nephew. Then he changed his mind and told him not to come. Why did he do that? At first, he thought to apply the rule, "Part of the day is like the whole day," and thus the period of excommunicated was up, but then he changed his mind. In any case, Rabbi Chiya came. Rabbi Yehudah asked, "Why did you come, seeing that I sent the second messenger for you not to come?" Rabbi Chiya said that he did not meet the second messenger. Rabbi Yehudah applied to him the verse, "When God favors a man's ways, even his foes make peace with him."
Then he asked, "Why did you teach Torah in public?" Rabbi Chiya replied that his source was "Wisdom sings in the streets." Rabbi Yehudah said, "You never learned it properly! It means that even if a person learns in private, his wisdom is proclaimed publicly." Even though Rabbi Chiya had a supporting phrase, how did he explain the "hidden thighs" - the source used by Rabbi Yehudah? – He thought this teaches that charity and good deeds should be private, but not Torah study.
Art: Woman With A Mourning Shawl by Vincent Van Gogh
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