The Torah begins with the word bereshit, which itself begins with the letter bet. The Sages explain why the Torah does not begin with the letter alef – the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet.

And why with a bet? Because it is an expression of blessing; and not with an alef, which is an expression of curse, so that those who live in the world will not say: How can the world, created with an expression of curse, endure? Instead, I am creating it with a bet, with an expression of blessing, and perhaps it will endure. (Jerusalem Talmud, Ĥagiga 2:1)