Musar for Bava Kamma 108:33

In light of the aforesaid we can understand a puzzling question posed by Rabbi Chanina son of Rabbi Agil who asked Rabbi Chiya son of Rabbi Abba in Baba Kama 54b why the word טוב, "good," never appeared in the text of the first set of tablets (Ten Commandments), whereas it does appear in the text of the second set of tablets. Rabbi Chiya answered that before raising the question why the word טוב appears, Rabbi Chanina should have asked if the word טוב appears in the second version of the Ten Commandments. Rabbi Chiya added that he was not at all sure that the word טוב does in fact appear in the text of the second tablets. He therefore referred the questioner to Rabbi Tanchum son of Chanilai who was a regular companion of Rabbi Joshua ben Levi, an expert in aggadic matters. Rabbi Chanina went to ask Rabbi Tanchum who told him that he had not personally heard anything on this from Rabbi Joshua ben Levi, but that he had heard from Rabbi Shemuel the son of Rabbi Tanchum the maternal uncle of Rabbi Acha bar Chanina that the reason the word טוב did not appear was that these tablets were ultimately going to be smashed. To the rejoinder: "so what?" Rabbi Ashi explained that the Rabbi meant that the symbolism in the destruction of the word טוב would have left a residue of permanent hopelessness among the Jewish people. The obvious question that arises is: how could a learned Rabbi not know whether the word טוב appeared in the text of the second set of tablets. This is something that any student in an elementary school can check! Besides, why did the questioner not quote the verse he had in mind to demonstrate that it did in fact exist? Also, what is the relevance of the question: "Before you ask me about one thing ask me about another?" Furthermore, why is the statement that the Rabbi "did not know" repeated twice?