“God said: Let there be light, and there was light” (Genesis 1:3). “God said: Let there be light” – Rabbi Yitzḥak began: “Your opening words enlighten; they bring understanding [to the simple]” (Psalms 119:130). Rabbi Yehuda and Rabbi Neḥemya, Rabbi Yehuda says: The light was created first. This is analogous to a king who sought to build a palace, but that location was dark.
What did he do? He kindled lamps and lanterns to ascertain how he would lay the foundation. So, too, the light was created first. Rabbi Neḥemya said: The world was created first.
This is analogous to a king who built a palace and adorned it with lamps and lanterns. Up to this point, Rabbi Yudan expounded.1Rabbi Yudan expounded the verse: “Your opening words enlighten” as support for the opinion of Rabbi Yehuda that the light was created first. Rabbi Pinḥas, Rabbi Yehuda bar Rabbi Simon, and Rabbi Ḥanon came and began in the name of Rabbi Shmuel bar Rav Yitzḥak: “Your opening words enlighten; they bring understanding to the simple” – the opening of Your mouth for us was light: “God said: Let there be light…”