It may mean "side" in modern Israeli Hebrew, but in ancient Hebrew, "pani" means "face" or "surface." For example, in Gen 1:2b it says "...v'Ruach Elohim m'rachepheth al pinay tehom" or "and the Spirit of God hovered above the SURFACE or FACE of the deep." It does not say the Spirit of God hovered over the SIDE of the deep. That would not make any sense at all.
It is true that Hebrew does not speak of a personal "face" in the singular form. It is always "paniym," or "faces." However, since G-d is the same yesterday, today and forever, He does not have many faces like humans have. Therefore, it is fully appropriate to speak of God's face as singular.
I made an error in saying that "pinay" is singular. It is the plural construct form. So even when used of G-d, it is in the plural... "faces." I apologize for any inconvenience my error may have caused.
I don’t speak modern Israeli Hebrew. Panyim is only idiomatically “faces.” That is not what it means literally. By all means continue in your argument without me.