In the beginning – Bereishis bara… (Genesis 1:1) Bereishis is “yirah boshes” – “fear of shame.”⁴ For instance, a person sits before the king feels great shame, so that he does not think about whether the king loves him or not, in order that he love him back; rather, he thinks about the king’s greatness, so that he becomes ashamed of him. Kesser Shem Tov, part 2, p. 3b⁵, p. 2d.

footnotes: ⁴ Tikunei Zohar, Tikun 7, בראשית – ירא בשת. ⁵ See also Likutim Amarim