משלי, פרק ח׳, פסוק כ״ד

Divine wisdom traces its origins back to the dawn of reality, before the physical universe took shape, to declare its absolute precedence over all creation. Wisdom is not a byproduct of the world, but rather the foundational blueprint that preceded it entirely.

The primary approach among commentators is that wisdom was brought into existence at this primordial stage. However, because the heavenly hosts and the physical universe had not yet been formed, the very concept of time did not exist. Therefore, describing the origins of wisdom in terms of chronological precedence is not meant as a standard timeline. Instead, it is an expansion of language designed to help the human mind grasp a reality that existed before time began [עמנואל הרומי]. While generally understood as the birth of wisdom, this formation also hints at a profound transition. Wisdom descended from its supreme spiritual state and clothed itself in a mundane dimension, making the creation of a material reality possible [אלשיך].

In that early state, the earth was chaotic and its elements were deeply entangled. Wisdom was already present, hovering over the chaos, establishing boundaries and assigning weight to the waters before they were even separated from the air [מלבי״ם]. Through this ancient wisdom, which was channeled into the physical realm, God acted to bring forth the vast and wondrous abundance of the world's water sources from absolute nothingness [אלשיך].

Wisdom was firmly established before any of these massive water sources appeared [רלב״ג, מצודת דוד]. These early waters were created with immense volume, flowing from springs that were heavy and overflowing due to the sheer depth of the abyss [אבן עזרא, מצודת ציון, עמנואל הרומי, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Within this aquatic creation, a subtle distinction exists. The deep abysses represent the pure, simple element of water, completely unmixed with other elements. In contrast, the springs represent a more complex form of water, one that is bound to the changing laws of nature and eventual decay [אמרי דעת].