Genesis 1

[Jason]

Is there any reason grammatically that בְּרֵאשִׁית, beresheet, could not translate in Genesis 1:1 as an adverb instead of the standard noun translation for beginning?

G-d initially created...

I think it modifies the verb of the phrase.

בְּרֵאשִׁית בְּרֹא אֱלֹהִים אֵת הַשָּׁמַ֫יִם וְאֵת הָאָ֫רֶץ וְהָאָ֫רֶץ הָֽיְתָה תֹּ֫הוּ וָבֹ֫הוּ וְכוּ׳

That is, I understand בְּרֹא instead of בָּרָא. This is an infinitive construct, joining “creating” to “God.” “God’s creating...” I tied the first verse to the second:

In the beginning of God’s creating the sky and the earth, the earth was tóhu va-vóvu etc..

Ultimately, it’s tied to the next verse, which is the first verse with any action in it. “And God said...” Verse 2 might be considered background information (notice the ve-x qatal structure), and we have:

When God began creating the sky and the earth—while the earth was tóhu va-vóhu etc.—God said, “Let there be light.”

In other words, the “initial” act here was a speech act. Everything before that was setup.