Parshas Bereishis 5786
- Torah Tavlin
- Oct 17
- 2 min read
ויקרא האדם שם אשתו חוה כי הוא היתה אם כל חי ... (ג-כ)
Immediately after the חטא of the עץ הדעת, Adam proceeded to name his wife Chava. Her name connotes motherhood of all humanity. The Meforshim grapple with why the name-giving was precisely now. (See Rashi, Baal HaTurim, Ohr Hachaim and others). Perhaps we can suggest the following machshava. The earlier posukim describe the punishments all the parties involved received; the Nachash, Adam and Chava. She was told "בעצב תלדי בנים", child delivery would be a painful ordeal. Rashi comments on the word "עצבונך", and says "זה צער גידול בנים" - this refers to childrearing hardships. Chazal describe that before their sin, having a baby was a quick, painless process. After, it became a pain-filled blessing. What is the מדה כנגד מדה?
Maybe there’s a lesson to be gleaned. Sometimes, as we decide how to tackle a problem, we reach a decision based on how it would affect us, and only us. We fail to consider our action’s impact on others. Our bechira not only affects us now, but also our future, and the future of our doros for all eternity. Chava, on her level, failed to “see” the wider effects of her actions. Thus, she was punished with regard to her childbearing, showing her that current actions affect the future too.
Adam Harishon taught us another lesson. Mothers - parents more accurately - are not zoche to that title unless they earn it! Until that point there was no pain linked to having a child. Now though, she would have to endure suffering in order to successfully raise them. Therefore, it was exactly at the time of discipline that was she named "אם" כל חי.
As the story goes, there was once a person who complained about the צער גידול בנים that required him to wake up during the night for his cranky child. A wise man replied, that’s not צער גידול בנים! That is actually גידול בנים! While it’s definitely not always an easy feat, this concept justifies our existence as the older generation passing on the mesorah.
May it be the will of Hashem that we heed our calling and we all be zoche to have much nachas from our children.