The Girsa of the Ein Yakov (first print) and Menoras ha'Ma'or, as well as the Munich manuscript changes the order on Daf 17 to match the others (Dikdukei Sofrim 17a note #100).

But if you were to ask me to explain the Masoretic Girsa of most manuscripts and prints, I would suggest a straightforward answer based on the explanation of the Maharsha (10b).

The Maharsha explains that the expression "Yesh Koneh..." (in all three cases) may mean the opposite of what most people think. Rebbi cried not because he had to work so hard to acquire what this person acquired in an instant. To the contrary, he cried that the righteous person who was killed only used one instant to perfect himself, while others used an entire lifetime. Had this Tzadik also taken advantage of his entire lifetime, he would doubtless have reached higher levels.

If that is a possible reading, I would suggest that the correct understanding of Rebbi's words depends on the order of the expression. The emphasis of an exclamation is always on the second half. Thus, in the cases on Daf 10 and 18, where non-Jews were involved, Rebbi cried that he had to work "Kamah Shanim" to reach what this person reached instantaneously. But in the case of Daf 17, which involved a Jew, Rebbi felt sorry for "Rebbi" Eliezer ben Durdiya. Thus, he cried not for himself but for poor Rebbi Eliezer ben Durdiya, who did not take advantage of his earlier years. How much more perfect he would have been had he worked on himself his entire life. To emphasize that Rebbi Eliezer ben Durdiya "only" used "Sha'ah Achas," he put that part of the expression at the end of the statement.

Best wishes,

Rabbi Mordecai Korneld

Kollel Iyun Hadaf