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Eve was the first woman, the "mother of all," created by being separated from Adam's body. In the garden of Eden, the snake convinced Eve to try the forbidden fruit of the tree of knowledge, from which she also gave to Adam. The result was that they were both expelled from the garden and that she and all of womankind would be cursed to endure difficult childbirths even as they desire their husbands, to whom they are subject.
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Mother of All the Living
TANAKH
The Hebrew name Chava, rendered as Eve in English, means "lifegiver." When Adam names her, the Torah explains her name's meaning.
The Unity of Adam and Eve
JEWISH THOUGHT
Adam and Eve were originally created as a single being. Rambam’s Guide for the Perplexed offers a philosophical and linguistic analysis of the biblical terms and emphasizes the profound unity and connection between the first man and the first woman.
Eve's Temptation and Decision
TANAKH
Why did Eve choose to eat from the forbidden tree? The book of Genesis recounts the moment in the garden of Eden when Eve makes her history-altering choice.
Eve's Curses and Women's Roles
TALMUD
With how many curses was Eve cursed after eating from the tree of knowledge? While the Babylonian Talmud in tractate Eruvin enumerates the curses, it offers the curse of Eve as the explanation for a number of the realities of being a woman in antiquity.
A Helpmate
JEWISH THOUGHT
In Genesis 2:18, God declares that it is not good for man to be alone and so makes man an "ezer kenegdo," often translated as a "helpmate." Dirshuni, a collection of contemporary women-authored midrash explores what this term means.
All Women But Only Some Men
COMMENTARY
Whereas the punishment for men — that they would til the earth by the sweat of their brow — only applies to those who til the earth, all women who give birth do so in pain. Da'at Zekenim, a commentary compiled from the writings of medieval French and German tosafists, explains why this is so.
The Pain of Childbirth and Ritual Purification
COMMENTARY
The pain of childbirth and the subsequent ritual purification process are linked to Eve's original sin and the impurity it introduced. The 17th-century Torah commentary, Kli Yakar, by Rabbi Shlomo Ephraim ben Aaron Luntschitz, explores the concept of atonement for Eve's ancient sin.
The Serpent's Filth
KABBALAH
Even though the biblical text clearly states that Adam was Cain's father, rabbinic tradition suggests that the serpent impregnated Eve. The Zohar Chadash, a collection of teachings related to the Zohar, resolves this interpretive challenge.
The Many Meanings of Eve's Name
MIDRASH
The Torah explains that Eve's name — Chava, in Hebrew — means "the mother of all living." Bereshit Rabbah, the ancient midrash from the land of Israel on the book of Genesis, presents a number of alternative possible meanings of the name Chava.
In the Cave of Makhpelah
KABBALAH
While the Torah does not record where Adam and Eve are buried, rabbinic tradition teaches that they were buried in the cave of Makhpelah, where most of the patriarchs and matriarchs are buried, in Hebron. The Zohar tells the story of what happened when Abraham arrived there to bury Sarah.
Expulsion from the Garden of Eden, Thomas Cole, 1828
Expulsion from the Garden of Eden, Thomas Cole, 1828
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