taught in the name of Rabbi Levi that the world was created with a letter bet (the first letter in , which begins, , Bereishit bara Elohim, "In the beginning God created") because just as the letter bet is closed at the sides but open in front, so one is not permitted to investigate what is above and what is below, what is before and what is behind. Similarly, Bar Kappara reinterpreted the words of to say, "ask not of the days past, which were before you, since the day that God created man upon the earth," teaching that one may speculate from the day that days were created, but one should not speculate on what was before that. And one may investigate from one end of heaven to the other, but one should not investigate what was before this world. Similarly, the Rabbis in a Baraita interpreted to forbid inquiry into the work of creation in the presence of two people, reading the words "for ask now of the days past" to indicate that one may inquire, but not two. The Rabbis reasoned that the words "since the day that God created man upon the earth" in taught that one must not inquire concerning the time before creation. The Rabbis reasoned that the words "the days past that were before you" in taught that one may inquire about the six days of creation. The Rabbis further reasoned that the words "from the one end of heaven to the other" in taught that one must not inquire about what is beyond the universe, what is above and what is below, what is before and what is after. Rabbi Eleazar read the words "since the day that God created man upon the earth, and ask from the one side of heaven" in to read, "from the day that God created Adam on earth and to the end of heaven." Thus Rabbi Eleazar read to intimate that when God created Adam in , Adam extended from the earth to the firmament. But as soon as Adam sinned, God placed God's hand upon Adam and diminished him, as says: "You have fashioned me after and before, and laid Your hand upon me." Similarly, Rav Judah in the name of Rav taught that when God created Adam in , Adam extended from one end of the world to the other, reading to read, "Since