Why is this Pasuk written here and not after Chavah's creation at the end of Chapter 2?
Rashi: Refer to 3:1:1:1 note 2.
Oznayim la'Torah: The fact that he named her after she had caused him to sin and to get punished, teaches us Adam's outstanding Midos - inasmuch as, instead reacting in anger. he ignored what she had just done and named her after her status - mother of all of mankind. 1
See Oznayim la'Torah.
Why did Adam call his wife 'Chavah'?
The title "Em Kol Chai" seems to include the animals?
Rosh #1: Chavah was the mother of all creatures with knowledge, i.e. mankind.
Rosh #2: She supplied the needs of all animals, and Adam worked the land.
QUESTIONS ON RASHI
Rashi writes: "Adam called [his wife by] the name [Chavah] - The Torah now returns to its previous topic... It was through naming the creatures that he was given Chavah... followed by the episode of the snake...." But didn't Adam name the creatures even before Chavah was created; so how can our verse be a return to that topic? Also, why does Rashi discuss the placement of the snake episode again?
Mizrachi: The Torah would have written Chavah's naming along with naming the creatures, despite that she had not yet been created, except that we wouldn't know what brought about her creation. The Torah instead inserts the story of her creation, to teach that it was naming the creatures that led Adam to realize that he lacked a mate. The Torah then inserts the story of the snake to teach what led the snake to desire Chavah. It now returns to the naming of Chavah. 1
Gur Aryeh: The Torah would have written Chavah's naming along with her creation. Rashi is explaining that all four stories are connected. 2
Gur Aryeh asks - We haven't found anything else that was named before it was created?
There are four stories in succession here; 1) naming the creatures; which led to 2) the creation of Chavah; 3) this led the snake to desire her; and now we return to 4) the naming of Chavah. Whereas according to Mizrachi, we return to story 1, according to Gur Aryeh we are returning to story 2 (after which Chavah should have been named). Why does Rashi refer back to naming the creatures? Chavah's creation could have been placed first, followed by both namings, but then we would not know what led to Chavah's creation.
Rashi writes, "Chavah - ... [a woman] generates life (Mechayah) in her offspring." If so, Adam should have called his wife Chayah, not Chavah!
Moshav Zekenim #1: He called her Chavah because she followed the counsel of the snake; 'snake' in Aramaic is 'Chiviya.' He used Aramaic, lest the angels know that she was named based on punishments.
Moshav Zekenim #2, Gur Aryeh: The letters Yud and Vav can be interchanged. 1
For example, Rashi notes that the word "Hoveh" is related to "Hayah." We may add that the word Chavah can also mean "farm," as in "Chavos Ya'ir" (Bamidbar 32:41), because a farm provides life, food and sustenance (Cheshek Shlomo, Rav Tzuriel edition, entry Ches-Vav). (CS)
