THE FIRST THINGS CREATED

In the beginning, two thousand years before the heaven and the
earth, seven things were created: the Torah written with black
fire on white fire, and lying in the lap of God; the Divine
Throne, erected in the heaven which later was over the heads of
the Hayyot; Paradise on the right side of God, Hell on the left
side; the Celestial Sanctuary directly in front of God, having a
jewel on its altar graven with the Name of the Messiah, and a
Voice that cries aloud, "Return, ye children of men."[1]

When God resolved upon the creation of the world, He took counsel
with the Torah.[2] Her advice was this: "O Lord, a king without
an army and without courtiers and attendants hardly deserves the
name of king, for none is nigh to express the homage due to him."