• All of מעשה בראשית was created fully formed

Rav Yehudah said that the bull which אדם הראשון sacrificed had a single horn on its forehead, because Dovid Hamelech said his praises should be more pleasing to Hashem than the "שור פר" (the bull sacrificed by אדם, which was fully grown (a "פר") at a day old (a "שור"), מקרין מפריס – horned and hooved. Although "מקרין" would imply two horns, it is written as "מקרן", implying a single horn.

Rav Yehudah said about the bull which אדם sacrificed: קרניו קודמות לפרסותיו – its horns preceded its hooves, because the passuk, "מקרין מפריס", implies מקרין ברישא והדר מפריס – first horned and then hooved. Although a bull normally grows its horns after its hooves, the first bull was created fully developed, and emerged from the ground headfirst. This supports Rebbe Yehoshua ben Levi’s statement: כל מעשה בראשית בקומתן נבראו – all works of Creation were created with their full stature; [ל]דעתן נבראו – they were created according to their will; בצביונם נבראו – they were created according to their desire regarding their chosen form, as the passuk says: ויכולו השמים והארץ וכל צבאם – and the heavens and earth and all their host were completed, reading "צבאם" as צביונם – their desire.

• The moon was diminished after protesting its being equal to the sun

Rebbe Shimon ben Pazi posed an apparent contradiction. One passuk says that Hashem made את שני המאורות הגדולים – the two great luminaries, implying the sun and moon were equal, and another passuk says את המאור הגדול...ואת המאור הקטן – the greater luminary…and the lesser luminary. The answer is that they were originally created equal sizes, and the moon said: “Ribbono shel Olam! אפשר לשני מלכים שישתמשו בכתר אחד – Is it possible for two kings to share one crown?” Hashem told the moon: לכי ומעטי את עצמך – “Go and diminish yourself!” The moon protested, “Must I diminish myself because I said something correct?” Hashem told it to rule by day and night, but the moon objected what greatness is there in that, דשרגא בטיהרא מאי אהני – for what benefit is a candle by daytime? Hashem said that Yisroel would count their days and years by the moon, but the moon protested that the seasons must be counted by the sun. Hashem said that צדיקים would be called by its “name,” such as "יעקב הקטן". Still, the moon was not placated, and Hashem said: הביאו כפרה עלי שמיעטתי את הירח – “Bring an “atonement” for Me, because I diminished the moon. This is why "לה'" – for Hashem is written about the שעיר brought on Rosh Chodesh.

• The vegetation of the third day did not grow until אדם davened for rain

Rav Assi posed an apparent contradiction between pesukim. A passuk on the third day of Creation says: תוצא הארץ דשא – the earth brought forth vegetation, but another passuk on Erev Shabbos (the sixth day) says: וכל שיח השדה טרם יהיה בארץ – all the plants of the field were not yet on the earth!? This apparent contradiction teaches that the different types of vegetation began to emerge on the third dayועמדו על פתח קרקע – and they remained at the entrance of the ground, waiting for the rain, עד שבא אדם הראשון ובקש עליהם רחמים – until אדם הראשון came and beseeched mercy for them, וירדו גשמים וצמחו – and rain fell and then they sprouted. ללמדך שהקב"ה מתאוה לתפלתן של צדיקים – This comes to teach you that Hashem desires the prayer of the righteous.