(Permission is granted to redistribute this material as long as the Kollel
header and the subscription info at the end are included.)

_________________________________________________________________
CHARTS FOR LEARNING THE DAILY DAF

brought to you by Kollel Iyun Hadaf of Har Nof
Rosh Kollel: Rabbi Mordecai Kornfeld
_________________________________________________________________

Megilah Chart #1

MEGILAH Daf 3a-3b

WHEN TWO MITZVOS PRESENT THEMSELVES,
WHICH ONE TAKES PRECEDENCE? (SEE INSIGHTS)
  (A)
READING THE MEGILAH IF IT WILL NOT BE POSSIBLE TO READ "B'ROV AM" LATER 		(B)
READING THE MEGILAH IF IT WILL NOT BE POSSIBLE TO READ IT AT ALL LATER
1) OVERRIDING(2)
TALMUD TORAH
(OF A YACHID(3)) 		Megilah(1) Megilah
2) *DELAYING*
AVODAH(4) UNTIL LATER 		Megilah Megilah
3) *OVERRIDING*
AVODAH(4)
ENTIRELY 		Avodah(6) Avodah
4) DELAYING
BURIAL OF A
MES MITZVAH
UNTIL LATER(5) 		Mes Mitzvah Megilah(7)(8)
==========
FOOTNOTES:
==========
(1) The Mitzvah of Talmud Torah is superceded even in order to read the Megilah with a greater number of people (b'Rov Am). This is evident from the Gemara which says that Rebbi cancelled his lecture in order to hear the Megilah in the synagogue, even though he could have read it with his students after teaching them (RASHBA, RAN Daf 5a).
(2) Since the Mitzvah of Talmud Torah applies at all moments, when one takes time off from learning Torah in order to fulfill another Mitzvah that Mitzvah has *overriden* (and not just delayed) the Mitzvah of learning Torah for that moment, as that moment of learning Torah can never be replaced. (VILNA GAON on the Shulchan Aruch)
(3) This refers to any Talmud Torah which does not involve all of the Jewish people. (MAGEN AVRAHAM)
(4) This applies to all other Mitzvos of the Torah as well.
(5) The RAMBAN (in Toras ha'Adam) and SHILTEI GIBORIM write that this refers only to a Mes Mitzvah and not to an ordinary Mes. (This is also the ruling of the VILNA GA'ON, but he adds that if the burial of an ordinary Mes has already begun, it is considered like that of a Mes Mitzvah and it overrides the reading of the Megilah, as the Mishnah in Berachos (17b) mentions.) The words of the REMA imply that the burial of an ordinary Mes overrides the reading of the Megilah as well when there are not enough people to take care of all the needs of the burial.
(6) This is because a Mitzvah d'Oraisa (Avodah) overrides a Mitzvah d'Rabanan (Megilah), as the RAN writes. However, the PISKEI TOSFOS (cited by the GILYON HA'SHAS) writes that the Megilah still takes precedence. This is also the view of the VILNA GA'ON and the TAZ (OC 687).
(7) This is the view of the MIZRACHI in his Hagahos to the SEMAG (cited by the BEIS YOSEF). However, the VILNA GA'ON, TAZ, and MAGEN AVRAHAM disagree and maintain that even in such a case -- when there will be no other opportunity to read the Megilah -- Mes Mitzvah overrides Megilah. (Their ruling, however, applies only to a Mes Mitzvah but not to an ordinary Mes which has people to take care of the burial, as the Mishnah Berurah points out.)
(8) This does *not* apply to a Talmid Chacham who died, in which case the honor of the Torah of the Talmid Chacham overrides the Mitzvah of Megilah. (DARCHEI MOSHE)

Main
Megilah Page		 List of Charts
and Graphics		 Insights
to the Daf
 Background
to the Daf		 Review the Daf
Questions and Answers 		Point by Point
Summary