Phonetic: "Ein Om'reen Sheev'cho Shel A'dam Be'fa'nav."

Translation: One should not praise a person facing him/her.

Meanings:

• Humility is one of the most evasive virtues in our society. Thus creating a situation where false pride would flourish is not advisable. A true sense of pride should derive from actions and from recognizing the virtues of these actions by the person himself. This practice should be exercised over a long period of time.
  
  
  
• Praising one while present has the characteristics of flattering and manipulation. As a result, a true assessment of words and actions could be overlooked and humility avoided.
  
  
• Giving praise, like all giving, is best done without the recipient knowledge of it. This eliminates the need for expressing gratitude, thus the action of giving remains in its purity. When done this way the positive energy that was created will influence both the person being praised and the one who praised.
  
  
• The word 'Befanav' In Hebrew (facing him/her) has the same root as the word 'inner'. Praising the inner of a person interferes with the self and one would feel embarrassment in many cases. If we further look at the root of the word 'embarrassment' in Hebrew we find it to mean 'Maze' or 'Labyrinth'. Hence praising someone 'in his presence' may interfere with the person's self in an unwelcome way, creating a sense of maze and resulting in embarrassment.