No, you don't have to play
LE before this because
ToN is a follow-up/continuation and not a direct sequel*. So, if you played
LE before you might get the reference or recognize some of the
LE characters appearance. You can basically treat it as a standalone game, which is part of the
NLT saga.
I actually played
LE before but did not finished it

, then I playes
ToN but also did not finished it. I waited until
ToN is completed and then finished it. Now, I am playing
LE from the start because I somehow lost/deleted all my saves (it was around70% before), but it is going to be fast because the walkthrough is completed and I can easily search for answers. I'm 30% through
LE in ~3 hours.
*Direct sequel: What I consider a direct sequel is where the MC and/or some NPCs are back in the new one as main characters similar with the previous one.
LE and
ToN both have very different MC and NPCs/LIs.