Luchos: Take Two Or New

Are the second luchos a take two of the first luchos or something new?  The Beis Ha’Levi (drasha 18) explains that there is a major difference between the first and second luchos.   The first one’s contained the totality of the entire Torah including all of the Torah shebaal peh.  However, the second luchos, written by Moshe didn’t contain the Torah shebaal peh.  What difference does it make?  Because now the Torah shebaal peh can’t be acquired through simple reading, it must be toiles and worked on to be acquired.  Why is this the result of the agel?  Rav Shlomo Fisher explains that the yesod of the sin of the agel was a lack of love for Hashem.  If someone loves someone else, they will wait for him/her even if they may be a little late.  Klal Yisroel’s impatience showed a lack of love to Hashem.  The midrash in Noach describes that the true love of Hashem is shown through the toiling and study of Torah she baal peh.  That’s why the fixing of the agel is to have the Torah she baal peh be acquired through difficult learning.  It is the toil in Torah that garuntees our commitment to Hashem even through the golus (see Gemorah Babba Kammah 55a and Maharal.)  Therefore, Purim is greater than Yom Kippur for it is the day that we accepted the Torah she baal peh out of ahavah as Rashi says in Shabbos 88a (Beis Yishai derush 8). 

The Shem M'Shmuel asks why did Moshe have to break the luchos, why couldn’t he just put them aside?  Based upon this idea we understand that we needed a new luchos to receive this level of the Torah she baal peh.

Even after the toil and learning of Torah, one must recognize that the Torah is a Godly wisdom beyond us.  All that we can understand is a gift.  As the Gemorah says (Megillah 6b) יגעתי ומצאתי. Why is it a מציאה  if there was יגיעה?  Because even after you toil it is something you happened upon, found because it’s a gift from Hashem (Sfas Emes in Bechukosi).  Rashi says (31:18) that the Torah was given to Moshe for free like a כלה.  What does Rashi mean it’s free like when one gets a bride; it costs money to buy a wife?!  Rav Ezrachi explains that the money of kiddushin is just a prelude to the actual chalos of the kiddushin.  The kiddushin itself however is free, so too one’s toil in Torah is the prelude necessary to acquire Torah, but it doesn’t cause success, rather it is a free gift from Hashem.