More Than The Study Of Law

Megillah (4a) - Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi says that when Purim falls out on Shabbos one must be doresh benyano dhel yom.  The Gemorah asks that this is done every Yom Tov, what tell me this only in regard to Purim?  It answers that we would have thought because of the gezerah d’rabbah not to read the megillah on Shabbbos we wouldn’t teach about the megillah either.  Tosfos understands the question of the Gemorah is that other Yomim Tovim there is a greater novelty that one must teach the laws for there is a law of דורשין ל' יום לפני החג yet there still is a law of הלכות חג בחג.  It is apparent from Tosfos that this Gemorah is discussing the law of הלכות חג בחג and presumably the Gemorah means to teach the laws of Purim.  Rashi however, explains that the doresh benyano dhel yom means to expound about the megillah and Tosfos doesn’t disagree.  Furthermore, Tosfos states clearly that on Purim this requirement of Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi doesn’t apply for there is more פרסומי ניסא through the reading of the megillah.  What does פרסומי ניסא have to do with halacha?  It is clear from Tosfos that the law of הלכות חג בחג isn’t (just) to teach the halachos, it’s a law in פרסומי ניסא, of hakaras me’en hameorah, to mention the nes of the day.  In the Laws of Tefillah (13:8) the Rambam codifies the law of הלכות חג בחג as an explanation of the Torah reading of the day.  What does one have to do with the other?  It is clear that he holds of the same approach as Tosfos, the halacha is to teach about the greatness of the day.  (Even if one may have to also learn actual laws, (see Shaar Hatziyun 429:5) the Rambam is telling us the geder of the din.)  [I am not sure of how to read the Sheiltos Vayishlach (26) derasha l'chanukah if he is saying that the reading of Chanukah and Purim is a fulfillment of this din, עיי"ש.]  This will answer the question of the Beis Yosef (429) if there is already a law of דורשין ל' יום לפני החג, why do we need a law of הלכות חג בחג?  According to this approach they are two independent dinim, חלוק ביסוד גדרם.  See Shulchan Aruch Alter Rebbe (429:4) where this approach seems to be codified and influences how the rabbi should speak on the Yom Tov.  

A similar takanah to הלכות חג בחג is found in this week’s parsha in the Yalkut Shemoni in regard to Shabbos (in fact it compares it to הלכות חג בחג.)

ויקהל משה - רבותינו בעלי אגדה אומרים מתחלת התורה ועד סופה אין בה פרשה שנאמר בראשה ויקהל אלא זאת בלבד. אמר הקב"ה: עשה לך קהילות גדולת ודרוש לפניהם ברבים הלכות שבת, כדי שילמדו ממך דורות הבאים להקהיל קהילו בכל שבת ושבת ולכנוס בבתי מדרשות ללמד ולהורות לישראל דברי תורה איסור והיתר כדי שיהא שמי הגדול מתקלס בין בני. מכאן אמרו: משה תקן להם לישראל שיהיו דורשין בעינינו של יום, הלכות פסח בפסח, הלכות עצרת בעצרת, הלכות החג בחג. אמר משה לישראל: אם אתם עושים כסדר הזה הקב"ה מעלה עליכם כאילו המלכתם אותי בעולמי, שנאמר: ואתם עדי נאם ה' ואני אל. וכן דוד הוא אומר: בשרתי צדק בקהל רב. וכי מה בשורה היו ישראל צריכין בימי דוד והלא כל ימיו של דוד מעין דוגמא של משיח היה? אלא פותח ודורש לפניהם דברי תורה שלא שמעתן אזן מעולם.

It is clear that the point of the ללמד ולהורות לישראל דברי תורה איסור והיתר is שיהא שמי הגדול מתקלס בין בני.  (courtesy of http://www.daat.ac.il.)  It’s not a learning merely for the sake of knowing how to observe the Shabbbos and Yom Tov, it is to the pirsum hanes, to cause theקילוס  of Hashem (Binyan Av.)

[The pshat in the Yalkut needs to be explained for it starts by saying that there should be gatherings to teach the laws of Shabbos and then it says to do it on Shabbos only?  And how do we derive from there to learn the laws of Yom Tov on Yom Tov?  My great-grandfather explained that in the midbar there was plenty of time to study the laws of Shabbos every day.  However, in future generations when people are working, its limited to Shabbos.  Based upon the fact that they enacted to study the laws of Shabbos on Shabbos, we derive that one should study the laws of the day that pertain to the day i.e. the laws of Yom Tov on Yom Tov.]

This geder of vayakhal Moshe can be derived from another place we find the term hakhal es ham.  It is found by the mitzvah of hakhal where the possuk says the point of the mitzvah is to fear Hashem (this a debate between the Or Hachaim and Gur Aryeh, see here.)  As the Rambam says at the end of the Laws of the Chagigah, hakhal is meant as a remembrance of maatan torah, not (just) as a means of teaching.  (See Sfas Emes Vayelech 5642.)  The gathering of the entire nation at Mount Sinai itself was for the sake of the awesome experience that occurred, not for the learning per se (ibid.) 

This may explain why the Shulchan Aruch (689:6) cites that it is a good practice to bring young children to the megillah.  Just as hakhal one brought even the young children for the experience of inspiring them with yiras shamayim (see Meshech Chachma Vayelech,) so too for the mitzvah of megillah one should bring along even the small children for the experience of פרסומי ניסא (Binyan Av volume 2 #34.)  

שוב ראיתי that my father shlita touched on this topic here but this is in a different vein.