“If there is no learning of Torah there can be no proper dealing with people. If there is no proper dealing with people there can be no learning of Torah” — Rabbi Elazar ben Azaryah (Avot 3:17)

If one fails to learn Torah his dealings with people will not be proper, for he will not be aware of his responsibilities. It has been pointed out by Chazal (Bava Kama 30a) that one who wishes to be a truly righteous person must study the Tractates of Seder Nezikin, which deal with man’s responsibility to his fellow man. If, on the other hand, one does not deal properly with people, his Torah will be forgotten as a penalty for causing the Chillul Hashem, described by Chazal (Yoma 86), of people saying, “How corrupt are the actions of this person who learns Torah.”

• Tosefot Yom Tov

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