מדרש אויף תהילים 90:2

“In the beginning, God created” – six items preceded the creation of the world; some of them were [actually] created, and some of them God contemplated creating, [though He did not actually do so]. The Torah and the Throne of Glory were created. Torah, from where is it derived? As it is stated: “The Lord made me¹⁵The speaker is Wisdom (the Torah) personified. at the beginning of His way” (Proverbs 8:22). The Throne of Glory, from where is it derived? “Your throne stands firm from earliest time, [You are from eternity]” (Psalms 93:2). The patriarchs, Israel, the Temple, and the name of the messianic king – God contemplated creating them [before the world, but did not]. The patriarchs, from where is it derived? “Like grapes in the wilderness [I found Israel, like a first fruit on the fig tree, at its beginning [bereshitah] I saw your fathers]” (Hosea 9:10). Israel, from where is it derived? “Remember Your congregation, that You acquired from old times” (Psalms 74:2). The Temple, from where is it derived? “Throne of glory, exalted from the beginning, [is the place of our Temple]” (Jeremiah 17:12). The name of the messianic king, from where is it derived? “May his name endure forever. His name is praised before the sun”¹⁶The Midrash expounds “before” to mean prior to. (Psalms 72:17). Rabbi Ahava ben Rabbi Ze’eira said: Repentance as well, as it is stated: “Before the birth of mountains” (Psalms 90:2), and at that same time, “You bring man down until he is crushed, [and then You say: Return, sons of man]” (Psalms 90:3).
But I do not know which of them¹⁷The two things that were actually created before the world. was first – did the Torah precede the Throne of Glory, or did the Throne of Glory precede the Torah? Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said: The Torah preceded the Throne of Glory, as it is stated: “The Lord made me at the beginning of His way, [before His undertakings of old times]” (Proverbs 8:22) – before that in whose regard it is written: “Your throne stands firm from earliest time” (Psalms 93:2).
Rabbi Huna and Rabbi Yirmeya said in the name of Rabbi Shmuel bar Rabbi Yitzḥak: The contemplation about [creating] Israel preceded all other things. This is analogous to a king who married a noblewoman, but did not have a son from her. Once the king was found passing in the marketplace. He said: ‘Take this ink and inkwell for my son.’ Everyone was saying: ‘He has no son and yet he says: Take this ink and inkwell for my son?’ Then they said: ‘The king is a great astrologer, had it not been that he is destined to beget a son from her, he would not have said: Take this ink and inkwell for my son.’ So, too, had it not been that the Holy One blessed be He foresaw that after twenty-six generations Israel was destined to receive the Torah, He would not have written in the Torah: “Command the children of Israel”; “speak to the children of Israel.”
Rabbi Banai said: The world and its contents were created only due to the merit of the Torah, as it is stated: “The Lord founded the earth with wisdom [beḥochma]”¹⁸Beḥochma could also be translated “for the sake of wisdom” – wisdom, throughout Proverbs, refers to the Torah. Similarly, the Midrash is interpreting Bereshit as “for the sake of Reshit” – God created the heavens and the earth for the sake of that which is called Reshit. (Proverbs 3:19). Rabbi Berekhya said: It was due to the merit of Moses, as it is stated: “He saw the first [reshit] for himself, [as there the portion of the lawgiver is hidden]” (Deuteronomy 33:21).¹⁹Moses, the lawgiver, is called Reshit, the first one.
Rav Huna said in the name of Rav Matana: The world was created for the sake of three things: For the sake of ḥalla, for the sake of tithes, and for the sake of first fruits. What is the source? “In the beginning, [bereshit]²⁰Or, for the sake of reshit. God created,” and reshit is nothing other than ḥalla, as it is stated: “The first of [reshit] your kneading basket” (Numbers 15:20). Reshit is nothing other than tithes, as it says: “The first [reshit] of your grain” (Deuteronomy 18:4). And reshit is nothing other than first fruits, as it is stated: “The choicest of [reshit] the first fruits of your land…” (Exodus 23:19).

Whence do we know that this applies to the Torah? Because it is said, "The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old" (Prov. 8:22). "Of old" means before the world was created. Whence do we know this with regard to the Garden of Eden? Because it is said, "And the Lord God planted a garden of old" (Gen. 2:8). "Of old," whilst as yet the world had not been created. Whence do we know this with reference to the Throne of Glory? Because it is said, "Thy throne is established of old" (Ps. 93:2). "Of old," whilst as yet the world had not been created. Whence do we know that Repentance (was premundane)? Because it is said, "Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world" (Ps. 90:2); and then in close proximity (we read), "Thou turnest man to contrition" (Ps. 90:3). "Before," i.e. before || the world was created. Whence do we know this with regard to the Temple? Because it is said, "A glorious throne, set on high from the beginning, is the place of our sanctuary" (Jer. 17:12). "From the beginning," whilst as yet the world had not been created. Whence we do know that the name of the Messiah (was premundane)? Because it is said, "His name shall endure for ever; before the sun Yinnôn was his name" (Ps. 72:17). "Yinnôn," before the world had been created. Another verse says, "But thou, Bethlehem Ephrathah, which art to be least among the thousands of Judah, from thee shall he come forth unto me who is to be ruler over Israel; whose ancestry belongs to the past, even to the days of old" (Mic. 5:2). "The past," whilst as yet the world had not been created.

(Fol.39b) R. Simon b. Lakish said: "Where do we find a hint in the Torah that it is a duty to visit a sick person? From the following passage (Num. 16, 29) If these men die the common death of all men, and he visited after the visitation of all men, then the Lord hath not sent me." How does he infer it from this? Said Raba, it means thus: "If these men die as old men die, that they will be sick upon their beds and people will visit them. What will then people say? 'The Lord has not sent these plagues to them.'" Raba lectured: "What is the meaning of the passage (Ib., ib.) But if the Lord create a new thing [why repeated twice the verb create?] This means: If Gehenna had been created for them, it is all right; but if not, then the Lord should create it now for them." Is this so? Have we not been taught in a Baraitha that seven things preceded the creation of the world? They are the Torah, Repentance, Paradise, Gehenna, the Throne of the Divine Majesty, the Temple, the name of Messiah. That the Torah [was created before creation we infer] from the following passage (Pr. 8, 22) The Lord made me the beginning of His way. As for Repentance, it is written (Pr. 90, 2) Before yet the mountains were brought forth, etc., and after it is written Thou turnest man to contrition and sayest, 'Return ye children of men! As for Paradise, it is written (Gen. 2, 3) And the Lord God planted a garden in Eden (Mikedem) to the eastward. As for Gehenna, it is written (Is. 30, 33) For already of old is Topeth made ready. As for the Throne of the Divine Majesty and the Temple, it is written (Jer. 17, 12) A Throne of glory, exalted from the beginning of time, is the place of our Sanctuary. And as for the name of Messiah, it' is written (Ps. 72, 17) In the presence of the sun, his name shall flourish. Hence we see from the foregoing that Gehenna was created before creation.] We must therefore say that Moses said thus: "If the opening was created here, good and well; but if not, then let the Lord create it right here." But it is written (Ecc. 1, 9) There is nothing new under the sun. We must therefore explain it that Moses said: "If the opening is not around here, then let it be moved over there."