Jewish tradition, particularly in the ancient collection of Midrashim called Bereshit Rabbah, grapples with this very question. It's a mind-bending exploration, and honestly, a pretty wild ride!
Bereshit Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Genesis, dives right in. The verse "In the beginning, God created…" (Genesis 1:1) sparks a profound inquiry: what preceded this creation? The Midrash suggests six things were in God's plan before the world as we know it came to be. Some were actually created, and some were merely contemplated—ideas in the Divine Mind, blueprints for what could be.
So, what were these pre-creation entities? The Torah itself, and the Kisei HaKavod, the Throne of Glory, were actually created beforehand. The Torah, God's wisdom and instruction, is referenced in Proverbs 8:22: "The Lord made me at the beginning of His way." And the Throne of Glory? Psalm 93:2 declares, "Your throne stands firm from earliest time."
But there's more! God also contemplated creating other things: the Patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob), the people of Israel, the Temple in Jerusalem, and even the name of the Messiah. These weren’t created yet, but they were present in God's vision. We see hints of this in verses like Hosea 9:10, "Like grapes in the wilderness I found Israel, like a first fruit on the fig tree, at its beginning [bereshitah] I saw your fathers," connecting the Patriarchs to that initial "beginning." Similarly, Psalms 74:2 says, "Remember Your congregation, that You acquired from old times," suggesting Israel's pre-creational existence in God's plan. And Jeremiah 17:12 speaks of the Temple as a "Throne of glory, exalted from the beginning." As for the Messiah, Psalms 72:17 states, "May his name endure forever. His name is praised before the sun" – implying a pre-creation existence.
And Rabbi Ahava ben Rabbi Ze’eira throws another fascinating idea into the mix: repentance (teshuvah). Even repentance was conceived beforehand, as Psalms 90:2 states: “Before the birth of mountains…You bring man down until he is crushed, [and then You say: Return, sons of man].”
Now, the rabbis even debated the order of these pre-existent things. Was the Torah created before the Throne of Glory, or vice versa? Rabbi Abba bar Kahana argued that the Torah came first, citing Proverbs 8:22, placing the Torah before that which is mentioned in Psalms 93:2, the Throne.
But Rabbi Huna and Rabbi Yirmeya, in the name of Rabbi Shmuel bar Rabbi Yitzḥak, offered yet another perspective: the contemplation of Israel preceded everything else. They tell a parable of a king who, despite not having a son yet, prepares an inkwell for him. People question this, but they realize the king, a great astrologer, knows a son will eventually be born. Similarly, God foresaw that Israel would receive the Torah, which is why we find phrases like "Command the children of Israel" throughout the Torah.
Rabbi Banai takes it a step further, suggesting that the entire world was created because of the merit of the Torah, as Proverbs 3:19 states, "The Lord founded the earth with wisdom [beḥochma]." Here, beḥochma can also be translated as "for the sake of wisdom," and in Proverbs, wisdom often refers to the Torah. The very first word of Genesis, Bereshit, is then interpreted as "for the sake of Reshit" – God created everything for the sake of that which is called Reshit, meaning "beginning" or "first."
And Rav Huna, in the name of Rav Matana, gives us a practical takeaway: the world was created for the sake of three things: ḥalla (the portion of dough given to the priest), tithes, and first fruits. The proof? Again, that word Bereshit! Reshit is used to describe all three: "The first of [reshit] your kneading basket" (Numbers 15:20) refers to ḥalla; "The first [reshit] of your grain" (Deuteronomy 18:4) refers to tithes; and "The choicest of [reshit] the first fruits of your land" (Exodus 23:19).
So, what does all this mean? It's a powerful reminder that creation wasn't a random act. It was purposeful, intentional, and driven by a Divine plan that included Torah, Israel, and ultimately, the possibility of a relationship with God through mitzvot (commandments). It’s an invitation to see ourselves as part of something much bigger, something that began even before the beginning. And maybe, just maybe, to realize the profound significance of our actions in the present, knowing they are rooted in an ancient, divine vision.