All this, if he does not praise him in public. But in public, it is forbidden in all cases. For in a gathering of many people there are bound to be found both "rightists" and "leftists," or enviers, and by speaking in his praise, they [the latter] will come to speak demeaningly of him. And if he wishes to praise a man who is acknowledged by all and known to be kasher and a tzaddik, in whom no evil or fault is to be found, then even before an enemy and an envier he is to be praised; for he will not be able to demean him. And if he does demean him, all will know that he has spoken falsely.
2
*ואם הוא משער שהשומעים לא יגנוהו, כגון, שאינם מכירים אותו, מתר לשבחו, אפלו ברבים כל שאינו משבחו יותר מדי.
וְכָל זֶה, אִם אֵינוֹ מְשַׁבְּחוֹ בָּרַבִּים, אֲבָל בָּרַבִּים אָסוּר (ו) בְּכָל גַּוְנִי {בכל האפנים}, כִּי בִּמְסִבַּת אֲנָשִׁים רַבִּים רָגִיל לְהִמָּצֵא שָׁם מַיְמִינִים וּמַשְׂמְאִילִים אוֹ מְקַּנְּאִים, וְעַל יְדֵי שֶׁיַּזְכִּיר בִּשְׁבָחָיו (ז) יָבוֹאוּ לְסַפֵּר בִּגְנוּתוֹ* . וְאִם יַחְפֹּץ לְשַׁבֵּחַ אָדָם, אֲשֶׁר כְּבָר הֻחְזַק לָרַבִּים וְנוֹדָע לְכָשֵׁר וְצַדִּיק וַאֲשֶׁר לֹא נִמְצָּא בּוֹ רָעָה וְאַשְׁמָה, גַּם עַל פְּנִי שׂוֹנִא וּמְקַנֵּא יֵשׁ לְשַׁבְּחוֹ, כִּי לֹא יוּכַל לְגַנּוֹתוֹ, וְאִם יְגַנֵּהוּ, יֵדְעוּ הַכֹּל, אֲשֶׁר פִּיו דִּבֵּר שָׁוְא.
All this, if he does not praise him in public. But in public, it is forbidden in all cases. For in a gathering of many people there are bound to be found both "rightists" and "leftists," or enviers, and by speaking in his praise, they [the latter] will come to speak demeaningly of him. And if he wishes to praise a man who is acknowledged by all and known to be kasher and a tzaddik, in whom no evil or fault is to be found, then even before an enemy and an envier he is to be praised; for he will not be able to demean him. And if he does demean him, all will know that he has spoken falsely.
*ואם הוא משער שהשומעים לא יגנוהו, כגון, שאינם מכירים אותו, מתר לשבחו, אפלו ברבים כל שאינו משבחו יותר מדי.