Hello. My name is Ilana Meister. I am a ninth grade student at Westchester Hebrew High school in New York and tomorrow I have a gemorah test. I understand the whole gemorah except for the final conclusion. I am unsure what ends up overriding reading the Megillah. Please e-mail me back with these answers. Thank you for your time and help.

Sincerely,

Ilana Meister, Scarsdale, NY

                    __________________________________________           
                                                                         
                       WHEN TWO MITZVOS PRESENT THEMSELVES,              
                    WHICH ONE TAKES PRECEDENCE? (SEE INSIGHTS)           
                    __________________________________________           
                                                                         
                                                                         
                            (A)                       (B)                
                    READING THE MEGILAH IF    READING THE MEGILAH IF     
                    IT WILL NOT BE POSSIBLE   IT WILL NOT BE POSSIBLE    
                   TO READ "B'ROV AM" LATER   TO READ IT AT ALL LATER    
                  ________________________    _____________________      
                                                                         
                                                                         
1) OVERRIDING(2)          Megilah(1)                Megilah              
   TALMUD TORAH                                                          
   (OF A YACHID(3))                                                      
                                                                         
2)  DELAYING              Megilah                   Megilah              
   AVODAH UNTIL                                                          
   LATER(4)                                                              
                                                                         
3)  OVERRIDING            Avodah(6)                 Avodah               
   AVODAH                                                                
   ENTIRELY(4)                                                           
                                                                         
4) DELAYING               Mes Mitzvah               Megilah(7)(8)        
   BURIAL OF A                                                           
   MES MITZVAH                                                           
   UNTIL LATER(5)                                                        

FOOTNOTES:

(1) Even to read the Megilah in the presence of a greater number of people (b'Rov Am), we push off Talmud Torah. This is evident from the statement regarding Rebbi, who pushed off the Talmud Torah of his students 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, if one does not learn Torah and instead is involved in another Mitzvah, that Mitzvah has overriden (and not just delayed) the Mitzvah of learning Torah for that moment, since that moment of learning Torah can never be compensated for. (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 (Toras ha'Adam) and SHILTEI GIBORIM write that this refers only to a Mes Mitzvah, and not to a regular Mes (this is also the ruling of the VILNA GA'ON, but he adds that if the burial of a regular Mes has already begun , then it is like a Mes Mitzvah and overrides Megilah, as is mentioned in the Mishnah in Berachos (17b)). The words of the REMA imply that the burial of a regular Mes overrides Megilah as well, if there are not enough people to take care of all of the needs of the burial.

(6) This is because, as the RAN writes, a Mitzvah d'Oraisa (Avodah) overrides a Mitzvah d'Rabanan (Megilah). However, PISKEI TOSFOS (cited by the GILYON HA'SHAS) writes that Megilah still takes precedence, and so writes the VILNA GA'ON and the TAZ (in 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 argue and say 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 a regular Mes which has people to take care of the burial -- Mishnah Berurah).

(8) This does not apply to a Talmid Chacham who died, in which case the honor of Torah of the Talmid Chacham overrides the Mitzvah of Megilah (DARCHEI MOSHE).