We find in a few places that it took a long time to get the right Peshat.

1) See Bava Metzia 62a, where the question of two people walking in the desert with only one bottle of water is discussed. Ben Petura said that it is better that both of them should drink, even though this means they will both die of thirst. It was only later that Rebbi Akiva came and taught that the life of the owner of the water takes priority. Only he drinks the water and survives. This was obviously a major dilemma until Rebbi Akiva gave a clear answer to the problem.

2) We find in other places that Rebbi Akiva solved long-standing problems. See, for instance, the Mishnah in Nedarim 66a which states that it was only in the times of Rebbi Akiva that we learned that if part of a vow is rescinded, then the entire Neder is rescinded. In fact, the Gemara in Menachos 29b tells us that Hash-m showed to Moshe Rabeinu the Halachos that Rebbi Akiva would learn from every "Kotz" of the letters. So it took hundreds of years to get the answer to some questions.

3) We also find that in the time of the Amora'im, there was progress in learning. See Berachos 20a, where Rav Papa said that in the time of Rav Yehudah they only learned one order of Shas -- Nezikin. When Rav Yehudah encountered a Mishnah in Uktzin, he remarked that he had a lot of questions that he could not answer. Later on, by the time of Rav Papa, they had 13 ways of learning every Mishnah.

4) We also find in Eruvin 13b that Beis Shamai and Beis Hillel argued for three years until the problem was resolved by a Bas Kol. Another issue was debated there for two and a half years until it was resolved.

Kol Tuv,

Dovid Bloom