ייִדישער מחשבֿה אויף בראשית 2:8

The Talmud Nedarim 39, reports that seven things were created prior to the universe itself. They are: Torah, Teshuvah, the gan Eden, Gehinnom, G'ds throne, the holy Temple and the name of the Messiah. Scriptural proof is provided. Concerning the Torah it is written "The Lord made me at the beginning of His ways." (Proverbs 8,22) Concerning Teshuvah, it is written "before mountains were born and the earth suffered birthpangs, You turn man to contrition and say "return, ye children of man!" (Psalms 90,3) Of the garden of Eden (Genesis 2,8) it is said: "and the Lord planted a garden in Eden heretofore." Concerning Gehinnom it is written (Isaiah 30,33) "For Tophet in the valley of Hinnom has been prepared of old. He made it very deep; the pile thereof is fire and much wood; the breath of the Lord kindles it like a stream of brimstone." Of the throne of G'd it is said: (Psalms 93,2) "Your throne is firmly established from time immemorial." Of the holy Temple it is written in Jeremiah 17,22: "on high from the beginning, the place of Your sanctuary." Of the name of the Messiah it states (Psalms 72,17) "His name continues since prior to the sun."

God placed them in the expanse of the heaven – The difference of opinion between the Sages of Israel and the Greek scholars, regarding whether the heavenly sphere is fixed in its place and the stars and constellations move in their orbits, or the stars and constellations are fixed in their positions and the heavenly sphere moves, has existed from the era of the Tannaim, as recorded in Tractate Pesachim.²⁶Pesachim 94b. See page 40 above. The view of our Sages is that the heavenly sphere is fixed and the stars and constellations move…. This conception is supported by the narrative that states first, “and God made the two great luminaries,” and only afterwards, “God placed them in the expanse of the heaven.” It appears from this passage that the luminaries are a unique creation and not merely part of the heavens. To explain: Were one to say that the luminary moves in its orbit and the heavenly sphere is fixed, it is understandable that the luminary is a separate entity from the heavens, and revolves on the surface of the heavens. A parallel to this exists with regard to the creation of man, concerning which it is stated,²⁷Bereishis 2:7. “God the Lord formed man,” and only afterwards, “God the Lord planted a garden… and placed man there.”²⁸Ibid. 2:8. I.e., just as man was first created and then placed in a different location, the moon was first created and then placed into its orbit. If, by contrast, one would postulate that the luminary was fixed in the heavens and the heavenly sphere revolved, the luminaries would be part of the essence of the heavens. Otherwise, were one to postulate that the luminaries were separate entities implanted into the heavenly sphere, as it were, the substance that previously existed there would be nullified. That theory runs contrary to logic.²⁹According to this theory, the luminaries would be displacing other matter. Instead, one would be forced to say that the luminary is part of the sphere, it is just that God in the power of His wisdom made that portion of the heavenly sphere luminous. If that is the intent, the sequence “He made the two great luminaries” and only afterwards “God placed them in the expanse of the heaven,” is problematic…. “Placing” could be interpreted as distinguishing them and granting them honor, as in the verse,³⁰Shmos 6:1. “I placed you as a judge for Pharaoh” and “I will place him as prominent.”³¹Tehillim 89:28.…