Trust From the First Verse

Rav Meir Hagodol taught that the Torah begins teaching bitachon (trust in Hashem) from its very first pasuk. The first four words of Bereishis 1:1, Bereishis bara Elokim es, begin with the letters beis, beis, alef, alef. These letters hint at the words of Tehillim 25:2, "In You I trusted, and I was not ashamed" (Bicha batachti al evoshah). Read in reverse order, the same letters hint at Tehillim 84:13, "Happy is the man who trusts in You" (Ashrei adam botei'ach bach). The Torah opens this way, he explained, because bitachon is the first foundation of avodas Hashem, the service of Hashem.