The first portion of the Torah, Bereishit, discusses the creation of the world and everything in it. This article will discuss the creation of Chava, mother of all humanity.
Created at Age 20
According to the Midrash, Adam and Chava were created fully developed, both physically and mentally, and were comparable to 20-year-olds. This is why they were liable to be punished for their sins even on the first day of their lives. The verse alludes to this when it says הן םדהא ההי ... (“Indeed, man has become...”). The Gematriyah (numerical value) of ההי is 20. As such the verse can mean, “Indeed, the man is [like] 20 years old.” Based on this Midrash, our sages taught that a person becomes liable for Divine punishment from the age of 20. This is the meaning of the Mishnah ןֶבּ םיִרְשֶׂﬠ ףֹדְּרִל (At the age of 20, one must begin seeking a livelihood,) which can be understood to mean, “From the age of 20, G-d chases the person and punishes him.”
Created in the Seventh Hour
According to the Talmud, Chava was created in the seventh hour of the sixth day of creation. This is one of the reasons we celebrate a (first) wedding for a total of seven days.
Beauty
According to the Talmud, the beauty of Chava exceeded that of our Matriarch Sarah (who is described as “a beautiful woman”) to the extent that the beauty of Sarah compared to that of Chava was like a monkey compared to a human being.
Brighter or Dimmer than Adam
The Talmud says that Chava’s beauty was like that of a monkey compared to Adam. Despite this, the Arizal taught that Chava’s face shone to the extent that Adam was unable to look at her. The Ben Ish Chai explains that before the sin, Chava’s face was brighter (and more beautiful) than that of Adam. After Chava instigated the sin of the Tree of Knowledge, however, she lost much of that beauty and became inferior to Adam.
Not Listed Among the Four most Beautiful Women
The Talmud lists the four most beautiful women who ever lived: Sarah, Avigayil, Esther (or Vashti), and Rachav. Tosfot asks why Chava isn’t listed since she was more beautiful than Sarah (as per above). Several answers are offered:
- The Talmud is only referring to people who were born beautiful, whereas Chava was fashioned by G-d.
- Chava isn’t listed since her beauty was outshone by Adam (at least after the sin), see above.
Created from Which Part of Adam?
The verse says that G-d created Chava from תַחַא יוָתֹעְלַצִּמ of Adam Harishon. This term is understood by most commentaries to mean “one of his ribs.”
Which Rib?
Targum Yonatan adds that it was the 13th rib of the right side. The number 13 represents “compromise” since the 13th principle with which the Torah is expounded is about a contradiction between two verses which is resolved by a third verse. This alludes to the compromise couples must make to maintain positive relationships. In addition, 13 represents the 13 Attributes of Divine Mercy. We solicit these Attributes of Mercy to assist us in maintaining peaceful marriages. Others say it refers to extra ribs which originally protruded from Adam’s back.
Several commentaries offer other explanations for this word:
- According to one opinion in the Talmud, תַחַא יוָתֹעְלַצִּמ means one of his sides. I.e., Adam and Chava were created like conjoined twins who are connected back-to-back, and then G-d separated them.
- According to another opinion in the Talmud (ibid), עַלֶצ means tail. Some understand this literally (which explains why human beings don’t have tails) while others understood this to mean an appendage.
Why Created Later?
The commentaries discuss why G-d chose to create Adam without a mate and only create Chava later. (Or, according to the opinion that they were conjoined, why he originally made them one entity and then separated them.) Here are some of the explanations they offer:
- A Man and Wife Are One
The Ramban explains that other living things (animals, birds etc.) mate simply in order to produce children, but the male and female don’t continue to live together after they mate (or, in some cases, after the child-rearing). Mankind is unique in that the males and females marry, produce children (with G-d’s help), and remain together for the rest of their lives (other than in a case of divorce). G-d embedded this concept in the creation of the first man and woman by making the women come from part of the man’s body to indicate that they are in essence one. This is why, after the account of Chava’s creation, the verse says, “Therefore a man leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife, and they become one flesh.” This means that a man leaves the family unit of his parents and establishes his own family unit with his wife as they are considered to be one entity. - To Encourage Monogamy
Similarly, the Chizkuni writes that by creating Chava from Adam, G-d caused womens’ nature to be faithful to their husbands with whom they are considered one. This differs from the nature of female animals who mate with many males during their lifetime since animals were created as separate entities and are therefore not drawn towards monogamous relationships (with only a few exceptions, such as pigeons and wolves). - To Emphasize the Uniqueness of Man
According to the Maharal, G-d created man and woman as one entity (at first) because He wanted to emphasize that mankind is unique among all living beings in that mankind alone possesses an intellectual soul. - To Encourage Marriage
Rabbi Yaakov Riesha writes that G-d created man and woman as one entity to show that human beings are incomplete until they get married. - To Illustrate the Preciousness of Every Person
The Mishnah says that “man was created alone (i.e., only one man instead of many men and without a female at first) to teach you that anyone who destroys (kills) one Jewish person, the Torah considers as if he destroyed an entire world. Conversely, anyone who sustains one Jewish person is given credit by the Torah as if he sustained an entire world.”
May we merit to sustain many souls, each of whom is worth the entire world!
Wishing you a Shabbat Shalom UMevorach and a Chodesh Tov!
Copyright 2026 by Rabbi Aryeh Citron
