(יח) וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ ה׳ אֱלֹקִ֔ים לֹא־ט֛וֹב הֱי֥וֹת הָֽאָדָ֖ם לְבַדּ֑וֹ אֶֽעֱשֶׂה־לּ֥וֹ עֵ֖זֶר כְּנֶגְדּֽוֹ׃ (יט) וַיִּ֩צֶר֩ ה׳ אֱלֹקִ֜ים מִן־הָֽאֲדָמָ֗ה כׇּל־חַיַּ֤ת הַשָּׂדֶה֙ וְאֵת֙ כׇּל־ע֣וֹף הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם וַיָּבֵא֙ אֶל־הָ֣אָדָ֔ם לִרְא֖וֹת מַה־יִּקְרָא־ל֑וֹ וְכֹל֩ אֲשֶׁ֨ר יִקְרָא־ל֧וֹ הָֽאָדָ֛ם נֶ֥פֶשׁ חַיָּ֖ה ה֥וּא שְׁמֽוֹ׃ (כ) וַיִּקְרָ֨א הָֽאָדָ֜ם שֵׁמ֗וֹת לְכׇל־הַבְּהֵמָה֙ וּלְע֣וֹף הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם וּלְכֹ֖ל חַיַּ֣ת הַשָּׂדֶ֑ה וּלְאָדָ֕ם לֹֽא־מָצָ֥א עֵ֖זֶר כְּנֶגְדּֽוֹ׃ (כא) וַיַּפֵּל֩ ה׳ אֱלֹקִ֧ים ׀ תַּרְדֵּמָ֛ה עַל־הָאָדָ֖ם וַיִּישָׁ֑ן וַיִּקַּ֗ח אַחַת֙ מִצַּלְעֹתָ֔יו וַיִּסְגֹּ֥ר בָּשָׂ֖ר תַּחְתֶּֽנָּה׃ (כב) וַיִּ֩בֶן֩ ה׳ אֱלֹקִ֧ים ׀ אֶֽת־הַצֵּלָ֛ע אֲשֶׁר־לָקַ֥ח מִן־הָֽאָדָ֖ם לְאִשָּׁ֑ה וַיְבִאֶ֖הָ אֶל־הָֽאָדָֽם׃ (כג) וַיֹּ֘אמֶר֮ הָֽאָדָם֒ זֹ֣את הַפַּ֗עַם עֶ֚צֶם מֵֽעֲצָמַ֔י וּבָשָׂ֖ר מִבְּשָׂרִ֑י לְזֹאת֙ יִקָּרֵ֣א אִשָּׁ֔ה כִּ֥י מֵאִ֖ישׁ לֻֽקְחָה־זֹּֽאת׃ (כד) עַל־כֵּן֙ יַֽעֲזׇב־אִ֔ישׁ אֶת־אָבִ֖יו וְאֶת־אִמּ֑וֹ וְדָבַ֣ק בְּאִשְׁתּ֔וֹ וְהָי֖וּ לְבָשָׂ֥ר אֶחָֽד׃
(18) God ה׳ said, “It is not good for the Human to be alone; I will make a fitting counterpart for him.” (19) And God ה׳ formed out of the earth all the wild beasts and all the birds of the sky, and brought them to the Human to see what he would call them; and whatever the Human called each living creature, that would be its name. (20) And the Human gave names to all the cattle and to the birds of the sky and to all the wild beasts; but no fitting counterpart for a human being was found. (21) So God ה׳ cast a deep sleep upon the Human; and, while he slept, [God] took one of his sides*sides Heb. ṣela‘ot, trad. “ribs.” Cf. 1 Kings 6.34; Exod. 25.12; 26.20, 26–27, 35; 30.4. and closed up the flesh at that site. (22) And God ה׳ fashioned the side that had been taken from the Human into a woman, bringing her to the Human. (23) Then the Human said,
“This one at last
Is bone of my bones
And flesh of my flesh.
This one shall be called Woman,*Woman Heb. ’ishshah; so trad. More precisely in context, “a (female) member of the human species.” See next note and the Dictionary under ’ish.
For from a Human*a Human More precisely, “the (formerly lone) member of the human species.” NJPS “man”; trad. “Man.” See the Dictionary under ’ish. was she taken.” (24) Hence a man*man So trad.; Heb. ’ish. Contrast the previous verse. leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife,*wife So trad.; Heb. ’ishshah (with possessive suffix). Cf. the previous note and contrast the previous verse. so that they become one flesh.
“This one at last
Is bone of my bones
And flesh of my flesh.
This one shall be called Woman,*Woman Heb. ’ishshah; so trad. More precisely in context, “a (female) member of the human species.” See next note and the Dictionary under ’ish.
For from a Human*a Human More precisely, “the (formerly lone) member of the human species.” NJPS “man”; trad. “Man.” See the Dictionary under ’ish. was she taken.” (24) Hence a man*man So trad.; Heb. ’ish. Contrast the previous verse. leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife,*wife So trad.; Heb. ’ishshah (with possessive suffix). Cf. the previous note and contrast the previous verse. so that they become one flesh.
(כ) וַיִּקְרָ֧א הָֽאָדָ֛ם שֵׁ֥ם אִשְׁתּ֖וֹ חַוָּ֑ה כִּ֛י הִ֥וא הָֽיְתָ֖ה אֵ֥ם כׇּל־חָֽי׃
(20) The Human named his wife Eve,*Eve Heb. ḥawwaḥ. because she was the mother of all the living.*living Heb. ḥai.
(כה) וַיֵּ֨דַע אָדָ֥ם עוֹד֙ אֶת־אִשְׁתּ֔וֹ וַתֵּ֣לֶד בֵּ֔ן וַתִּקְרָ֥א אֶת־שְׁמ֖וֹ שֵׁ֑ת כִּ֣י שָֽׁת־לִ֤י אֱלֹקִים֙ זֶ֣רַע אַחֵ֔ר תַּ֣חַת הֶ֔בֶל כִּ֥י הֲרָג֖וֹ קָֽיִן׃
(25) Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son and named him Seth, meaning, “God has provided me with*provided me with Or “established for me”; Heb. shath, connected with “Seth.” another offspring in place of Abel,” for Cain had killed him.
עזר כנגדו. זָכָה – עֵזֶר; לֹא זָכָה – כְּנֶגְדּוֹ לְהִלָּחֵם:
עזר כנגדו A HELP MEET FOR HIM — (כנגדו literally, opposite, opposed to him) If he is worthy she shall be a help to him; if he is unworthy she shall be opposed to him, to fight him (Yevamot 63a).
נפש חיה הוא שמו. הנה שמו הורה על צורת הבעלי חיים הנקרא בשם ההוא שהיא נפשו אשר בה הוא נמצא בפעל:
נפש חיה הוא שמו, its name would provide all of us with a clue as to its function in G’d’s scheme of things. The essence of each animal, נפש, would be revealed by its activity on earth.
ולאדם לא מצא עזר. ויפל ה׳ אלקים תרדמה. כְּשֶׁהֱבִיאָן הֱבִיאָן לְפָנָיו כָּל מִין וָמִין זָכָר וּנְקֵבָה, אָמַר לְכֻלָּם יֵשׁ בֶּן זוּג וְלִי אֵין בֶּן זוּג, מִיָּד וַיַּפֵּל (בראשית רבה):
ולאדם לא מצא עזר… ויפל ה׳ אלקים תרדמה FOR THE MAN HE HAD NOT FOUND A HELP MEET FOR HIM … AND THE ETERNAL GOD CAUSED AN OVERPOWERING SLEEP TO FALL — When He brought them, He brought them before him male and female of each and every kind. Thereupon he said: all these have a mate, but I have no mate! Immediately He caused to fall [an overpowering sleep upon him] (Genesis Rabbah 17:4).
ויבן ה׳ אלקים את הצלע לאשה. להיות לה צורת האיש וסגלותיו ושתהיה נבדלת ממנו בכלים גשמיים בלבד אשר בם יהיה הבדל ביניהם באפשרות השלמות ברב ובמעט:
ויבן ה׳ אלוקים את הצלע לאשה, it was someone possessing the features of a human being, much like those of a man. She would be different from man only in some external physical features. She would possess the same ability to perfect her personality as did man.
Chavah embodies both the essence of life itself and the creative ability to grant that life to others. The idea of “mother of all life” expresses not only the ability to physically give birth, but also to create, nourish, and enhance all facets of life. This is the ability of a mother - to take something from the state of potential, develop it, and bring it to actualization through her creative abilities.
The third meaning stems from a verse in the book of Psalms (19:3) "Night following night expresses knowledge." The Hebrew word for expression is yechaveh, which is also related to the word chavah. In this vein, there is a verse in the book of Job (36:2)"Wait for me a little while, and I will show you." The Hebrew phrase for I will show you is veachavecha, again from the same root. This third meaning of Chavah can be understood as expression, revelation, or manifestation.
Ultimately, these three meanings work together. How does Chavah, the first woman, represent the mother of all life? Through experience as expression and through expression as experience she mothers all life. She shapes and develops formless matter, carrying it within her until it is ready to be born. However, the mothering process does not end with physical birth, for she then continues to nurse this life, feeding and sustaining it physically, emotionally, and spiritually. She continues to nourish it throughout its life, helping to actualize its latent potential and helping this life to develop and experience its utmost expression. And by doing this, she is constantly giving birth to new levels of ability and depth of life experience, both within herself and within all those around her, earning the title “mother of all life.”
The third meaning stems from a verse in the book of Psalms (19:3) "Night following night expresses knowledge." The Hebrew word for expression is yechaveh, which is also related to the word chavah. In this vein, there is a verse in the book of Job (36:2)"Wait for me a little while, and I will show you." The Hebrew phrase for I will show you is veachavecha, again from the same root. This third meaning of Chavah can be understood as expression, revelation, or manifestation.
Ultimately, these three meanings work together. How does Chavah, the first woman, represent the mother of all life? Through experience as expression and through expression as experience she mothers all life. She shapes and develops formless matter, carrying it within her until it is ready to be born. However, the mothering process does not end with physical birth, for she then continues to nurse this life, feeding and sustaining it physically, emotionally, and spiritually. She continues to nourish it throughout its life, helping to actualize its latent potential and helping this life to develop and experience its utmost expression. And by doing this, she is constantly giving birth to new levels of ability and depth of life experience, both within herself and within all those around her, earning the title “mother of all life.”