Quotation for Avodah Zarah 7:13
אמרו ליה מ"ש אתון דידעיתון אמר להו אנן דשכיחינן גביכון רמינן אנפשין ומעיינן אינהו לא מעייני
They said to him: How are you different that you know [Scripture]?’ He replied: We who are frequently with you, set ourselves the task of studying it thoroughly, they do not study it carefully.
Bartenura on Pirkei Avot
"would swallow alive:" As it is written (Habakkuk 1:14) "And you make man like the fish of the sea" - just like the fish of the sea, each one that is bigger than his fellow swallows his fellow; so too people, were it not for the fear of the government, each one who is bigger than his fellow would swallow his fellow (Avodah Zarah 4a).
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