There are numerous Jewish legends and some of them tell of the seven things God created before the creation of the world. This is my retelling and embellishing of various versions and stories:
God the eternal and never ending, God without beginning and without end, God who rode upon the winds of eternity before the beginning of time created seven things before the creation of the world.
Before the heavens were created, before the mountains were raised, before the hills were born, before there were any streams or sources of life giving water, God created the Torah. In letters of black fire on white fire, God wrote the whole of the Law without spaces between the words. The Torah sang the praises of God and God bound the Law to his right arm.
He created his Throne of Glory. Carved out of louring thunderclouds, copper in colour and burnished, it was inlaid with the colours of the sunset and beaded with the stars of the night. It has four wheels, one on each side, so when God sits in it He can see in all directions at once.
On His right, God created Paradise. A place of beauty and joy where the Spirit of God walks and His gaze never falters.
On His left, God created Gehenna. A place of darkness and loneliness that is eternally separated from God; where His Spirit never walks and upon which He never looks.
Directly in front of Him, he created the Heavenly Temple out of jewels and pearls and the Shekhina, His Divine Radiance.
On a precious stone set upon the alter in the Temple He engraved the name of the Messiah.
Finally, God created repentance to allow all that was still to be created to be able to return to Him.
All this was done before the creation of the world.
Comments
btw,you wrote in your comment that you got laid off,Richard?thats too bad...I hope you are doing alright out there...
This is not "official" legend, just the sort myths and stories people tell to try and fill in teh blanks and gaps.
I think it is a particularily evocative image. I love the image of God writing the Torah in letters of black fir eon white fire. I think that would be a really cool picture if someone could draw it. I have tried, but I am not talented enough (maybe Acey?).
As for being laid off, I am doing fine for now. Thank you.
good to know that you`re doing ok,Richard.
The looking in all directions was my addition based in part on the beginning of Ezekial.
I may retell some stories of Lilith as well - in some Jewish mythology, she was Adam's first wife, created at the same time, but turned away from God and became a demon of the night stealing the souls of babies. There is a Hebrew tradition of fastening an amulet against Lilith to a newborn..