Megillah 3 - Which is more important?
Purim is celebrated "in every province, every city, and every family." Since the intent is already clear, what do we learn from each word? - That even the Kohanim and the Levites leave their Temple service and go to listen to the Megillah. We can deduce that the Torah scholars, whose work is not as crucial as the Temple service, certainly close the books and go listen to the Megillah.
But is this really true, and the Temple service is more important than the study of the Torah? Don't we have the story of Joshua, where an angel came to him and said, "You are guilty of two transgressions: yesterday you neglected the daily sacrifice and today - the study of the Torah. However, I came only today because missing the study of the Torah is more important?" So the study of the Torah is more important, and perhaps the Sages should not close their books and go to read the Megillah? There is a difference: the Torah study of Israel is more important than anything else, but the Torah study of an individual gives the right of way to the sacrifices and indeed to the reading of the Megillah.
Rava asked a question: both reading the Megillah and burying the unattended corpse are more important than the sacrifices, but of these two, which has precedence? Then Rava himself answered: human dignity overrides even Torah prohibitions, so burying the unattended corpse is undoubtedly more important than listening to the Megillah.
Art: Interior with a scholar and an old lady spinning by Jacob van Spreeuwen
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