בְּרֵאשִׁית, (b. h.) in the beginning, as a cosmological term (ref. to Gen. I, 1) creation, primeval period, Nature, Universe. Targ. Is. XXVIII, 29; a. e.—מִבְּ׳ from the beginning. Ib. XLI, 4.—מעשה ב׳ a) creation. Gen. R. s. 3; a. fr.—b) cosmogony, contrad. to מעשה מרכבה theosophy, Ḥag. II, 1; a. fr.—Y. Shebi. I, beg. 33ᵃ שבת ב׳ the Sabbath commemorative of creation, i.e. the regular weekly Sabbath, contrad. to Holy Days. [In later Hebr. שבת ב׳ the Sabbath on which the first section of the Pentateuch is read.]—Ber. IX, 2 ברוך עושה (מעשה) ב׳ praised be the Author of creation—a formula of benediction for awe-inspiring natural phenomena; v. ib. a. Y. ib. 13ᶜ bot.—ששת ימי ב׳ from the six days of creation. Keth. 8ᵇ נתיב הוא מש׳ וכ׳ this is the way (the lot of humanity) since the world existed.—Tosef. Maasr. III, 14: a. fr.—Y. Taan. II, 65ᵃ bot. מי ב׳; Lam. R. to III, 40 מימי ב׳ primeval waters, Ocean &c. (v. Gen. I, 9 sq.).—ספר ב׳ The Book of Genesis. Gen. R. s. 3; a. e.—ב׳ רבה B’reshith Rabbah (Gen. R.), name of the first book of the Midrash Rabbah.