לַכֹּל זְמָן וְעֵת לְכָל חֵפֶץ, זְמַן הָיָה לוֹ לְאָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן שֶׁיִּכָּנֵס לַגַּן עֵדֶן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (בראשית ב, טו): וַיַּנִּחֵהוּ בְּגַן עֵדֶן. וּזְמַן הָיָה לוֹ שֶׁיֵּצֵא מִשָּׁם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (בראשית ג, כד): וַיְגָרֶשׁ אֶת הָאָדָם וגו'. זְמַן הָיָה לוֹ לְנֹחַ שֶׁיִּכָּנֵס לַתֵּבָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (בראשית ז, א): בֹּא אֶל הַתֵּבָה וגו'. וּזְמַן הָיָה לוֹ לָצֵאת, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (בראשית ח, טז): צֵא מִן הַתֵּבָה וגו'. זְמַן הָיָה לְאַבְרָהָם שֶׁיִּנָּתֵן לוֹ הַמִּילָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (בראשית יז, ט): וְאַתָּה אֶת בְּרִיתִי תִּשְׁמֹר. וּזְמַן הָיָה לְבָנָיו לְהִמּוֹל, מֵהֶן שֶׁיִּמּוֹלוּ בִּשְׁנֵי מְקוֹמוֹת, אַחַת בְּמִצְרַיִם וְאַחַת בַּמִּדְבָּר, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (יהושע ה, ה): כִּי מֻלִים הָיוּ כָּל הָעָם הַיֹּצְאִים וגו'. וְעֵת לְכָל חֵפֶץ תַּחַת הַשָּׁמָיִם, זְמַן הָיָה שֶׁתִּנָּתֵן הַתּוֹרָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, אָמַר רַב בֵּיבַי זְמַן הָיָה לְאוֹתוֹ דָּבָר שֶׁהָיָה נָתוּן לְמַעְלָה מִן הַשָּׁמַיִם וְעַכְשָׁו יִהְיֶה נָתוּן לְמַטָּה מִן הַשָּׁמַיִם, וְאֵיזוֹ זוֹ הַתּוֹרָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמות כ, א): וַיְדַבֵּר אֱלֹהִים אֵת כָּל הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה לֵאמֹר.
“For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under the heavens” (Ecclesiastes 3:1). There was a time for Adam the first man to enter the Garden of Eden, as it is stated: “He placed him in the Garden of Eden” (Genesis 2:15). And there was a time to depart from there, as it is stated: “He banished the man…” (Genesis 3:24). There was a time for Noah to enter the ark, as it is stated: “Come…to the ark” (Genesis 7:1). And there was a time to emerge from there, as it is stated: “Emerge from the ark” (Genesis 8:16). There was a time for the [mitzva of] circumcision to be given to Abraham, as it is stated: “You shall observe My covenant” (Genesis 17:9). And there was a time for his descendants to be circumcised, [and for many] of them to be circumcised [at once. This occurred] in two places, once in Egypt and once in the wilderness, as it is stated: “All the people who departed were circumcised [and all the people born in the wilderness…were not circumcised]” (Joshua 5:5). “And a time for every purpose under the heavens” – there was a time for the Torah to be given to Israel. Rav Beivai said: It was time for a certain thing that was located above the heavens to now be given under the heavens. What is that? It is the Torah, as it is stated: “God spoke all these matters, saying” (Exodus 20:1).