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Beit Midrash
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Throughout Tanach, including our parasha, tov appears as an antonym and direct contrast to rah. For example, the full name of the etz hada’at is "the tree of knowledge of tov and rah" (ibid. 17). Rah can be translated as either bad, a broad term applying to many levels and contexts of undesirability, or evil, referring to a low level of morality.
So, lo tov can mean bad or it can mean evil. In theory, it can also include average situations. If we rate on a scale of 1 to 10, and good is from 7 and up and bad is from 3 down, then 4-6 is "not good," but it is also "not bad." So how do we describe the lo tov situation of man without wife? Evil? No. Bad? Maybe, but why would Hashem create such an important creation as man, in a bad way? Average? Maybe, but this is intuitively unappealing.
Perhaps the answer emerges from an interesting phenomenon in the Torah’s portrayal of Creation. Famously, every major stage of creation is summarized, as "Hashem saw that it was tov." This statement usually appears once a day, but does not appear on Day 2 and appears twice on Day 3. On Day 6, creation of animals is described as "tov" (ibid.1:25) and the entire creation as a whole is rated "very tov" (1:31). In between these two tovs, the five p’sukim on creation of man is not "crowned" with a tov. Why not?
Perhaps this is what the Torah means with "lo tov" before Chava’s creation. It was not evil, or bad, or average. However, it was lacking the expected tov of creations. As the creation of the second day waited for completion on the third day, so did Adam need to wait for Chava to become a complete creation (see Yevamot 62b).
Hashem decided that man should be created and recognize himself as incomplete before receiving his completion. This phenomenon repeats itself regularly when a baby Jewish boy is born in a way that requires him to be completed by a brit (see Tanchuma, Tazria 7). We can suggest that since as soon as Chava was created there was completion, when a baby girl is born there is no need to seek completion with a brit or the like.
If tov, as opposed to lack thereof, is connected to being complete, we add appreciation for Chazal’s comment that Moshe was born circumcised and that this is learned from the fact he was described as born tov (see Shemot 2:2; Avot D’Rabbi Natan 2). The fact that males have two hashlamot – brit and a wife – explains more things. A brit includes preparing the boy to eventually live a married life in sanctity. Also, already at the brit, we look ahead to his completion: "Just as he entered the brit, so may he enter Torah, chupa, and ma’asim tovim." Torah is called tov (Mishlei 4:2) and completes a person; finding a wife is called "matza tov" (ibid. 18:22); after these two, a man is ready for ma’asim tovim.
Peninei Halakha 11. Shaving One’s Beard During the Three Weeks
Chapter 8: The Customs of the Three Weeks
Rabbis in Midrash
Lessons
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Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 9 - "Seeing is Believing" (parag. 21-30)
These paragraphs elaborate on the theme that seeing and knowing is better than any attempt to prove logically, and begins explaining the difference between Israel and gentiles.
Ein Aya Various Universal Stages of the Geula Process
Rav Kook examines the various stages of redemption, explaining how (in addition to the obvious oft-mentioned stages of ingathering the exiles, reviving the Hebrew language, army, state etc.) the messianic dream of world prosperity, the State of Israel and world unity can and are realistically and logically gradually coming true.
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 8- "Answering Questions on the Kuzari's Proof from Mass Revelation
How do we know that the "claim" of mass revelation to 2,000,000 witnesses at Mt. Sinai is really true? This important class answers all of the questions skeptics ask about this claim of the Kuzari.
Ein Aya Armies Still Necessary for Balance & the War Against Wars
Rav Kook explains why the world was originally divided into the various seemingly contradicting ideologies and cultures, in order to develop each one respectively. Swords or armies symbolize how each respective ideology defends themselves, as well as deters their opposing ideologies and cultures. On the other hand, the messianic era will be one of peace, and Rav Kook explains the transition to that stage, which mankind is already undergoing.
The Land of Israel LGBT'S IN ISRAEL
The question was asked, how can one make Aliyah with the LGBT parades?
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 7 - Five Accumulative Proofs of G-d
As a preparation for the Kuzari's classic proof of G-d from the mass-revelation at Sinai, we start here with 5 other directions to strengthen our belief which also contribute to what the Kuzari will present as well.
Ein Aya Muscle & Meaning: The Dual Nature of Gevurah (Physical Strength)
Is physical strength and fitness a necessity or an ideal? Although it if often totally overlooked among topics of Judaism, Rav Kook writes that it clearly is also a necessity to deter the many enemies of Israel, but even in Y'mot HaMashiach, in the Messianic era, to a certain extent, it's ideal continues even after our enemies will have been finished off.
