Provérbios 27:14 Halacá: Chafetz Chaim, Mishneh Torah, Human Dispositions, Kitzur Shulchan Arukh & Sefer HaChinukh

One must also take care not to praise his friend with praise that leads to loss, as in a guest's going out to the city square and proclaiming to all how lavishly his host entertained him with food and drink and how many pains he took for him. For through this, "empty" men will gather and converge upon the host and consume his fare. Of one such as this it is written (Mishlei 27:14): "He who blesses his friend in a loud voice early in the morning, it will be accounted a curse to him." And from this it may be derived that the same is true of one who received a loan from his friend and publicized to all his great generosity. For through this many disreputable men will converge upon him and he will not be able to put them off. And one must heed his mouth and his tongue not to be suspect in his words and not to be regarded as a speaker of lashon hara. And if he brings himself to be suspected, this is in the category of the "dust" of lashon hara.

And, there are certain kinds of words which are the grinding of the evil tongue. For example: One will say, "Who will tell that person to be as he is now"? Or he will say: "Hold your peace concerning that person, I am disinclined to relate what happened, or what was", or like such expressions. Even he who tells the good qualities of his fellow in the presence of his fellow's enemies is making grinding of an evil tongue, because he calls forth his fellow's shame from the mouths of his enemies and concerning this subject Solomon said: "He that blesseth his friend with a loud voice, rising early in the morning, it shall be counted a curse to him" (Prov. 27.14). Out of his goodness for him, he brings about evil to him. Likewise, he who tells with an evil tongue under the guise of a joke, or lightheadedness, that is, he does not speak it in tones of hatred, even of him Solomon in his wisdom said: "As a madman who casteth firebrands, arrows and death; so is the man that deceiveth his neighbor and saith, 'Am not I in sport?'" (Ibid. 26 18–19.). Among such is also the one who uses an evil tongue deceitfully, relating innocently, as if ignorant that his speech be words of an evil tongue, but when there is a protest against what he says, he avers that he does not know that such tale is evil speech, or that such was really the conduct of that person.⁶Yeru. Pe’ah, 1; Shabbat, 33a. C. G.

And there are [certain] statements which are milder nuances¹²Literally: dust of lashon hara (slander). of slander. For example, if someone says: "Let's not talk about so and so; I do not want to tell what happened and what transpired," or words to that effect. Likewise, if you tell of someone's virtues in the presence of his enemies, this constitutes a milder nuance of slander, for this will prompt [his enemies] to tell derogatory things about him. Concerning this King Solomon said,¹³Proverbs 27:14. "He that praises his friend with a loud voice when rising early in the morning,¹⁴This phrase alludes to the eagerness with which he sings his friends praises, day after day. (Metsudas David) it will be counted as a curse to him," for [proclaiming] his virtues will cause him harm. Also when a person slanders in a jesting or jocular manner, as if he were not speaking out of hatred, [he is guilty of a milder form of slander]. King Solomon [referred to this] when he said in his wisdom,¹⁵Proverbs 26:18,19. "As a man who pretends to play, and shoots firebrands, arrows, and death [so is this man who deceives his neighbor] and says 'Look, I'm only joking." Equally [guilty] is a person who slanders with slyness, by pretending to speak innocently, [as if he were] unaware that [what he says] is slander, and when he is taken to task for it he says, "I did not know that this was slander" or "so and so [actually] did these things."