Rabbi Yehudah and Rabbi Nechemyah. Rabbi Yehudah says: "And the heavens and the earth were finished" (Genesis 2:1) in their time, "and all their host" (ibid.) in their time. Rabbi Nechemyah said to him: But is it not written: "These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created" (Genesis 2:4), which teaches that on that very day they were created, and on that very day they brought forth their generations? He said to him: But is it not written: "And there was evening and there was morning, one day" (Genesis 1:5), a second day, a third day, a fourth day, a fifth day, a sixth day? Rabbi Nechemyah said to him: They are like those who gather figs, each and every one appearing in its time. Rabbi Berekhyah, concerning this teaching of Rabbi Nechemyah, said: "And the earth brought forth" (Genesis 1:12), a thing that was already deposited in its hand.
The Roots Of Everything
Bereshit Rabbah 12:4
רַבִּי יְהוּדָה וְרַבִּי נְחֶמְיָה. רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר: וַיְכֻלּוּ הַשָּׁמַיִם וְהָאָרֶץ בִּזְּמַנָּן, וְכָל צְבָאָם בִּזְּמַנָּן. אָמַר לֵיהּ רַבִּי נְחֶמְיָה וְהָא כְתִיב: אֵלֶּה תוֹלְדוֹת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְהָאָרֶץ בְּהִבָּרְאָם, מְלַמֵּד שֶׁבּוֹ בַּיּוֹם נִבְרְאוּ, בּוֹ בַּיּוֹם הוֹצִיאוּ תּוֹלְדוֹת. אָמַר לוֹ, וְהָכְתִיב: וַיְהִי עֶרֶב וַיְהִי בֹקֶר יוֹם אֶחָד, יוֹם שֵׁנִי, יוֹם שְׁלִישִׁי, יוֹם רְבִיעִי, יוֹם חֲמִישִׁי, יוֹם שִׁשִׁי. אָמַר לוֹ רַבִּי נְחֶמְיָה כִּמְלַקְטֵי תְּאֵנִים הֵן, כָּל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד הוֹפִיעַ בִּזְמַנּוֹ. רַבִּי בֶּרֶכְיָה עַל הֲדָא דְרַבִּי נְחֶמְיָה אָמַר: וַתּוֹצֵא הָאָרֶץ, דָּבָר שֶׁהָיָה פָּקוּד בְּיָדֶיהָ.