Before The World Was Created

"And God said, Let the waters be gathered together" (Genesis 1:9). It is written, "At Your rebuke they flee, at the sound of Your thunder they hasten away" (Psalms 104:7). Rabbi Berekhiah in the name of Rabbi Abba bar Ami said: a measure shall be made for the waters, as you say, "and a measuring line shall be stretched out over Jerusalem" (Zechariah 1:16). Rabbi Abba bar Kahana in the name of Rabbi Levi said: the Holy One, blessed be He, said: Let the waters be gathered for Me, in expectation of what I am destined to do with them. A parable: like a king who built a palace and settled mute people within it, and they would rise early and inquire after the king's welfare by gesture, by finger, and by signs. The king said: If these were articulate, how much more so would they praise Me! This is a wonder. The king settled in it articulate dwellers. They rose up and seized hold of the palace, saying: This palace is not the king's, it is ours. The king said: Let the palace return to what it was. So too, from the beginning of the world's creation the praise of the Holy One, blessed be He, ascended only from the waters. This is what is written, "More than the voices of many waters, mighty breakers of the sea" (Psalms 93:4). And what were they saying? "The LORD on high is mighty" (Psalms 93:4). The Holy One, blessed be He, said: If these, which have neither mouth nor utterance nor speech, yet behold they praise Me, when I create man, how much more so! The generation of the Flood arose and rebelled against Him; the generation of Enosh arose and rebelled against Him; the generation of the Dispersion rebelled against Him.