Midrash su Giosuè 8:9

We are taught: Even if the priests are engaged in their Temple service, the Levites in their songs and Israel in their Ma'amad (division), they should stop and come to listen to the reading of the Megilla (Book of Esther). The house of Rabbi (the Nassi) found a support from this for their opinion that it is proper to neglect the study of the Torah in order to go to listen to the reading of the Megilla. We conclude the proof with the syllogism of the service [in the Temple]; if it causes the suspense of the Temple service, which is restrictive, how much more should it suspend the study of the Torah? And the Temple service, you say, is preferable to the study of the Torah. Behold! It is written (Jos. 8, 13) And it came to pass when Joshua was by Jericho … and he said. No; for as a captain of the host of the Lord, am I now come; and Joshua fell on his face to the earth, etc How could Joshua do so? Did not R. Jochanan say: "One must not greet a stranger, with peace, in the middle of the night, because he might be a demon, and so much more he must not bow before him?" There it was different, as he said, I am a captain of the Lord. But perhaps he lied? We have a tradition that even the demons do not pronounce the name of the Lord in vain. And then the angel said to him: "Yesterday you abolished the daily eve-offering, and to-day you abolished the studying of the Torah." And to the question, "For which of the two [transgressions] hast thou came?" the angel answered, "I now come; i.e., for that of to-day." Immediately after this we read (Ib.) And Joshua went that night into the midst of the valley, and R. Jochanan said (Ib. b.): "From this it is to infer that he (Joshua) spent the night in the depth [of study] of the Law; and Samuel remarked that the study of the Torah is greater than the sacrifices of the daily offerings; for it is said: I came now; i.e., for that of to-day. [Hence we see that the study of the Torah is greater than sacrifices.] This is not difficult to explain, the former deals with community sacrifices, and the latter with individual sacrifices.