First Thing
Before all. The beginning of all (in the source a first utterance that preceded).
("And he turned from beside him to the other side, and said as for this matter, and the people returned him the matter as the first matter" - 1 Samuel 1:17:30, similarly: "Sit before the wise, and incline your ear to their words, and do not hasten to answer, and be thoughtful to answer their words according to the matter; for a first matter, answer first, and for a latter matter, answer latter" - Tractate Ketanot, Tractate Derech Eretz A 21)
Translation
Expression (Hebrew)
דָּבָר רִאשׁוֹן
Definition (Hebrew)
קֹדֶם כֹּל. רֵאשִׁית כֹּל (בַּמָּקוֹר אֲמִירָה רִאשׁוֹנָה שֶׁקָּדְמָה)
("וַיִּסֹּב מֵאֶצְלוֹ אֶל מוּל אַחֵר וַיֹּאמֶר כַּדָּבָר הַזֶּה וַיְשִׁבֻהוּ הָעָם דָּבָר כַּדָּבָר הָרִאשׁוֹן"- שְׁמוּאֵל א יז ל, כֵּן:"שֵׁב לִפְנֵי חֲכָמִים, וְהַט אֲזֵנְךָ לְדִבְרֵיהֶם, וְאַל תְּבַהֵל לְהָשִׁיב, וְהַוִּי מְחַשֵּׁב לְהָשִׁיב עַל דִּבְרֵיהֶם כְּעִנְיָן, עַל דָּבָר רִאשׁוֹן הַשָּׁב רִאשׁוֹן, וְעַל דָּבָר אַחֲרוֹן הָשֵׁב אַחֲרוֹן"- מַסֶּכְתּוֹת קְטַנּוֹת מַסֶּכֶת דֶּרֶךְ אֶרֶץ א כא)