skeptical about the value of an earthly world, on account of the
sinfulness of men, who would be sure to disregard her precepts.
But God dispelled her doubts. He told her, that repentance had
been created long before, and sinners would have the opportunity
of mending their ways. Besides, the Temple service would be
invested with atoning power, and Paradise and hell were intended
to do duty as reward and punishment. Finally, the Messiah was
appointed to bring salvation, which would put an end to all
sinfulness.[4]

Nor is this world inhabited by man the first of things earthly
created by God. He made several worlds before ours, but He
destroyed them all, because He was pleased with none until He
created ours.[5] But even this last world would have had no
permanence, if God had executed His original plan of ruling it
according to the principle of strict justice. It was only when He
saw that justice by itself would undermine the world that He
associated mercy with justice, and made them to rule jointly.[6]
Thus, from the beginning of all things prevailed Divine goodness,
without which nothing could have continued to exist. If not for
it, the myriads of evil spirits had soon put an end to the
generations of men. But the goodness of God has ordained, that in
every Nisan, at the time of the spring equinox, the seraphim
shall approach the world of spirits, and intimidate them so that
they fear to do harm to men. Again, if God in His goodness had
not given protection to the weak, the tame animals would have
been extirpated long ago by the wild animals. In Tammuz, at the
time of the summer solstice, when the strength of behemot is at
its height, he roars so loud that all the animals hear it, and
for a whole year they are affrighted and timid, and their acts