Before the sun, the moon, the stars... What illuminated the very first moments of creation?
Jewish tradition tells us that the first thing God created wasn't a physical object, but pure, unadulterated light. According to Tree of Souls, this wasn’t just any light, but a primordial light, distinct from the light of the sun we know. It was so intense that, according to some accounts, no created thing could gaze upon it.
The Talmud, in tractate Hagigah, and the Midrash, in Genesis Rabbah, explore this very idea. They describe a light that existed even before Creation, a light that some say emanated from the very place where the Temple in Jerusalem would one day stand. Imagine: the holiest place on earth, already radiating light at the dawn of time!
So, how did God actually bring this light into being? The stories are rich and varied. Some say, as we find in Genesis Rabbah, that God wrapped Himself in a garment of light, like a tallit (prayer shawl), and the radiance of His majesty lit up the world. Others suggest God draped the six days of Creation around Himself like a gown, dazzling the universe (Zohar). And then there are those who say the light simply shone from God's very countenance!
The Torah states in Job 37:3, "He sends it forth under the whole heaven, and His light to the ends of the earth." The light of the first day, we're told, accompanied all the days of Creation. According to the Zohar, everything was filled with this light, which traveled throughout the cosmos without stopping, until all the world began to sing. This idea underscores the interconnectedness of everything from the beginning.
What was it like to experience this light? Well, Adam did. According to Ginzberg's retelling in Legends of the Jews, in this light, Adam could see from one end of the universe to the other, viewing all of creation, tangible and ethereal. It was the light of the eye, as the Midrash Tehillim puts it.
But how long did this incredible light last? Some say it shone undiminished for the first three days and nights, seven times brighter than the sun. Others believe it lasted just thirty-six hours – twelve on Sabbath eve, twelve on the Sabbath day, and twelve on the night of the Sabbath.
Then, something shifted. The tradition tells us that the moment Adam and Eve tasted the forbidden fruit, they lost access to this light. The world grew dark, the sun seemed like a mere candle in comparison, and, according to Genesis Rabbah, that was their most painful punishment.
So, what happened to the primordial light? Did it simply vanish? Not quite. There are different traditions. Some say God brought it back to Paradise, awaiting the righteous in the World to Come. Job 38:15 tells us, "The light of the wicked is withheld." Others say God gifted it to the Shekhinah, the Divine Presence. Still others believe, as we find in the Zohar, that God hid it within the Torah, in the mysteries waiting to be discovered. This is why, when we study Torah, we draw down a thread of that light, as Psalm 97:11 promises: "Light is sown for the righteous."
And there's another compelling idea: that God still emits a small bit of that light into the world every day to sustain it. Without it, the world would cease to exist, even for a moment! As we find in various Midrashim, God hid a small bit of that light inside a glowing stone and gave it to Adam and Eve when they were expelled from the Garden, as a reminder of all that they had lost.
Ultimately, Jewish tradition suggests that this sacred light will be restored at the End of Days, when the footsteps of the Messiah are heard. Then, everyone will see the true glory of God's creation.
Isn't it fascinating to think that hidden within our world, within the Torah, within acts of righteousness, a spark of that original, boundless light still flickers? Maybe, just maybe, we catch glimpses of it when we truly connect with the Divine, when we see the world with wonder, and when we strive to bring a little more light into the darkness.