You know what, you're right. I shouldn't have used "be a human" there. Haven't thought of it that way. Even so, I still stand by the message even if the wordin

You know what, you're right. I shouldn't have used "be a human" there. Haven't thought of it that way. Even so, I still stand by the message even if the wording was wrong - one should be a human first in the sense that one should be empathetic and strive to be good. And yes, I still stand by the quote from Chazal which, even as an atheist, I appreciate as a part of my cultural heritage. All it's saying is that being a good person is more important than anything (even studying the Torah) and that one should not humiliate others. I think those are important and valid messages.