Sanhedrin Daf 38 סַנהֶדרִין דַף 38

A Baraisa states that Adam was created on Erev Shabbos (i.e., last), and provides four reasons: (1) So that heretics should not say: שותף היה לו להקדוש ברוך הוא במעשה בראשית – Hashem had a partner (Adam) in creating the world. (2) So that if man should become haughty, one can say to him: יתוש קדמך במעשה בראשית – even a gnat preceded you in the creation of the world! (3) כדי שיכנס למצוה מיד – So that he should immediately enter into fulfilling a mitzvah (Shabbos). (4) כדי שיכנס לסעודה מיד – So that he should immediately enter the “banquet” (i.e., the completed world). This is analogous to a human king who built a palace, decorated it, prepared a banquet, and only then invited guests.

Rav said: אדם הראשון מסוף העולם ועד סופו היה – Adam HaRishon reached from one end of the world to the other (based on a passuk), but כיון שסרח – once he sinned, הניח הקדוש ברוך הוא ידו עליו ומיעטו – Hashem placed His hand upon him and reduced him, as the passuk says: אחור וקדם צרתני ותשת עלי כפכה – back and front You formed me (referring to Adam and Chavah’s creation), and You placed Your palm on me. Rebbe Elazar says he was created מן הארץ עד לרקיע – from the ground to the sky, and the Gemara explains that these two distances are equal. Reish Lakish explains that when the passuk mentions "ספר תולדות אדם" – the book of the generations of Adam, it teaches שהראהו הקדוש ברוך הוא דור דור ודורשיו – that Hashem showed him each successive generation and its people who darshen the Torah, דור דור וחכמיו - each successive generation and its sages. When he reached Rebbe Akiva’s generation, שמח בתורתו ונתעצב במיתתו – he rejoiced in his Torah and was saddened over his death. Adam declared: "ולי מה יקרו רעיך קל" – And to me, how exalted are Your thoughts, Hashem!

In a Mishnah, Rebbe Eliezer says: הוי שקוד ללמוד תורה – be diligent in studying Torah, ודע מה שתשיב לאפיקורוס – and know what to answer a heretic. Rebbe Yochanan says one must only respond to a pagan heretic, but one should not debate a Jewish heretic, because כל שכן דפקר טפי – he will become all the more heretical. Rebbe Yochanan said: כל מקום שפקרו המינים תשובתן בצידן – wherever the heretics have supported their heresies from pesukim, the response is written right nearby. He proceeds to give numerous examples of pesukim referring to Hashem in the plural, allowing for the heretical claim that there are multiple powers, but nearby, Hashem is described in the singular, disproving their claim. For example, the passuk says: "נעשה אדם בצלמנו" – Let us make a man in our image, in plural, but nearby it says: "ויברא אלהים את האדם בצלמו" –Hashem created man in His image, in singular. Rebbe Yochanan then explains why the Torah uses the plural form: אין הקדוש ברוך הוא עושה דבר – Hashem does not do anything אלא אם כן נמלך בפמליא של מעלה – unless he first consults with His Heavenly Court.