The Biur Halacha (251) explains that one is allowed to degrade themselves and degrade kavod hatorah for the purpose of fulfilling a mitzvah. Therefore, the amoraim would degrade themselves in making various preparations for shabbos that were beneath their dignity since "that is their kavod" to degrade themselves for a mitzvah, similar to what was done by dovid hamelech. This also explains why the gemara says in kiddushin 70a that R' Nachman built a fence on his roof by himself, even though it is somewhat of a degrading job. But when it comes to a situation that it is not completely clear that it is being done for the purpose of a mitzvah, a talmid chacham is not supposed to degrade himself. This explains why one is not supposed to degrade themselves to return a lost object that is embarrassing to carry through the street, since it is not clear to all that he is doing a mitzvah of returning a lost object.
Our gemara seems to contradict this premise. It was very clear that when R' shmuel bar yitzchok degraded himself by dancing in front of a kallah, he was doing it for the purpose of a mitzvah. Nevertheless, R' Zeira comments (according to rashi, which is different than the peshat i mentioned above), that he is degrading the honor of Torah by acting in this silly way. Shouldn't R' Zeira agree that one was supposed to degrade himself to fulfill a mitzvah so long as it is recognizable that it is for the purpose of the mitzvah? Perhaps this was R' Zeira's original approach but he later changed his approach after seeing the pillar of fire, and agreed that one is allowed and encouraged to degrade himself to fulfill a mitzvah of bringing simcha to the kallah.
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