Deny kavod to someone in order to give kavod to another person?

      Sanhedrin (5b)      What was the reason that Rab was not authorised to permit the slaughter of firstborn animals? Was it that he was not learned2 enough? But have we not just said that he was very learned? Was it because he was not an expert in judging defects? But did not Rab himself say: I spent eighteen months with a shepherd in order to learn which was a permanent and which a passing blemish ? — Rabbi withheld that authorisation from Rab, as a special mark of respect to Rabbah b. Hana.3

(3) So as to establish him firmly in the respect of Babylonians, whilst Rab's standing was in any case high.