Megilla 2 When to Read the Megilla; Learning Halacha and Learning Our History

We begin Masechet Megilla with a Mishna that teaches us about reading the Scroll of Esther, Megillat Esther, on Purim.  We are told the specific days that we must read from the scroll: The 11, 12, 13, 14 or 15 of Adar.  We are told that whether or not one's city is walled may affect the day when the megilla is read. We are told that when the city was walled might be a significant factor, too.  Finally, the Mishna describes the coordination of these dates depending of multiple factors.  The Gemara expounds on these instructions, determining which factors might influence the timing of the reading of the megilla.

Today's daf shows us the rabbis imagining what life was like in the time of Esther, which was between the First and Second Temple eras. They debate about what was written in the scroll, what was written in Torah, and what they believe was the reasoning for their ancestors to construct the megilla in the way that they did.  

That is our tradition: building and rebuilding, creating and recreating, remembering and conjecturing our collective past.  We want to know what our ancestors did, for past generations were always more pious, more knowledgeable, closer to G-d.  The notion that we want to know how things were done in the time of the Temple so that we are prepared for the Temple's return is not the entire picture.  In addition, we look back not just to 'get it right' but to know who we are based on from where we have come.

The major difference between halachically observant Jews and all other Jews is that we 'other Jews' do not necessarily recognize the authority of past generations.   That sounds obvious.  In truth, it is a significant difference. When a Jew learns Talmud to improve their halachic practice, their process is very different from a Jew who learns Talmud to learn about our ancestors and their lives.  But both Jews will learn halacha, and both Jews will learn about the lives of our ancestors.