“After the first set of the Ten Commandments was shattered, Hashem agreed to give a second set of tablets, [which was] very different [since it] included the entire body of halacha and medrash and every detail of the oral Torah [as well].

The shattering of the first tablets opened up vast new vistas of Torah wisdom to the Jewish people.

The oral Torah gives us the opportunity to become active participants in Torah, but it demands great toil and diligence to master. [This] hard work and persistent effort…places us in full partnership with Hashem in the transmission of Torah.

All of this became possible only after the shattering of the first set of tablets.”

Periods of darkness spurn us to heights higher

than we could have achieved had we not gone through the challenge.

This concept is known as yeridah l’tzorech aliya, the descent for the sake of the ascent.