Another matter, “He gave to Moses,” Rabbi Abahu said: All forty days that Moses spent above, he would study Torah and forget. He said to Him: ‘Master of the universe, I have forty days and I do not know anything.’ What did the Holy One blessed be He do? After he completed forty days, the Holy One blessed be He gave him the Torah as a gift [matana], as it is stated: “He gave [vayiten] to Moses.”
Did Moses learn the entire Torah? It is written regarding the Torah: “Its measure is longer than the earth and broader than the sea” (Job 11:9), and Moses learned it in forty days? Rather, the Holy One blessed be He taught Moses the fundamental principles [kelalim]. That is, “as He concluded [kekhaloto] speaking with him.”
“The two tablets of Testimony,” what is the reason for two tablets? They correspond to the heavens and earth. They correspond to the bride and the groom. They correspond to the two attendants.18The groomsman and the maid of honor who attend to the groom and the bride respectively.
They correspond to this world and the World to Come. “Two tablets [luḥot] of Testimony,” Rabbi Ḥanina said: Luḥot is written without a vav, as one was not larger than the other.19Because the word luḥot is written without any vavs, it can be vocalized luḥat, which is a singular term. This is in order to indicate that they were identical. “Stone tablets,” – why of stone?
It is because most of the punishments in the Torah are by stoning. That is why it is stated: “Stone tablets.” Alternatively, “stone tablets,” due to the merit of Jacob who was called stone, as it is stated: “From there the shepherd, the stone of Israel” (Genesis 49:24).20Jacob is the foundation stone of the Jewish people. Alternatively, stone tablets,” anyone who does not render his life like this stone21Anyone who does not live a hard, demanding life. will not merit the Torah.