Eve

Eve ate from the tree and was cursed to suffer in childbirth. This is the way most of us heard this story, and for many people, especially religious people, it is the reason why they do suffer in childbirth. It's time to take a closer look at this story.

A Chabad Rabbi, Rabbi Manis Friedman, explains: Eve had a choice to make, should she and her descendants continue living in the spiritual bliss of the Garden of Eden? The Garden was a place where G-d was revealed and His wishes were revealed, and therefore the thought of sin wouldn't occur to anyone. They could just fulfill G-d's Will forevermore, without any desire for something else, without temptation. Or should she eat from the tree and expose humankind to temptation and desire, to a place where G-d is thoroughly concealed, where the Wisdom and Will of G-d will be hidden in a book?

Eve chose to eat from the tree. She saw that her descendants will have the challenge of faith. The challenge to choose between what's right and what's easy. The challenge of believing in G-d and choosing to fulfill His Will.

So G-d gave her a challenge. Eve, along with all future mothers, was challenged to have such strong faith in G-d at the time of her greatest vulnerability. Faith that G-d created her with the ability to give birth. During labor, with each surge (contraction) she is given the choice; to choose to resist and tense against the surge, or to welcome and embrace it, allowing it to do it's job without resistance. This welcome embrace can only occur when she has such strong faith that she can do this, that she need not resist, for resisting is the response of fear and lack of faith in herself; 'I have to resist, for I am not strong enough to handle this surge'.

The name Eve in Hebrew is Chava, which means 'bringing forth life'. Another meaning to her name is Chaya: Life. In numerology the Y (yud = 10) in Chaya minus the V (vov = 6) in Chava equals D (dalet = 4). If that letter is added into the name Chava you end up with Chedva: bringing forth life with joy. As mothers let us celebrate for we have that opportunity; to bring forth life with joy!