[Avodah] Permissible Flattery

[Zev Sero]

Harvey Benton wrote:
>  a Gvir's house (who happens to be a VERY big Baal Tzedakah), and stated
> about the Gvir, that he was a "Rishon Shebirishon BeChol Davar Shebekdusha".  
> We know that Flattery in Yiddishkeit is not allowed, except under certain
> circumstances such as complimenting a bride, to avoid physical harm, and
> perhaps some other specific cases.


Maybe it's true?  In which case it wouldn't be flattery.

Even if it's not quite true, even if there are others who are ahead of
him, it seems to me that encouraging tzedaka is an example of where a
certain amount of puffery is allowed.

In addition, perhaps in that community this is a standard title, which
all understand is not necessarily to be taken literally; in that case it's
not flattery.

PS: Not directly related, but see Sdei Chemed erech chanufah, where he
says that nowadays "harav hagaon" just means that the person has smicha.

-- 
Zev Sero                      The trouble with socialism is that you
zev at sero.name                 eventually run out of other people’s money
                                                     - Margaret Thatcher