Why does the Torah here mention the name of the Tree of Knowledge, whereas later Chavah will refer to it only as "the Tree in the middle of the Garden" (3:3)?
Seforno: Because of its proximity to the Tree of Life - as if to warn Adam that He had placed before him Life and death, and that the choice was his. 1
Can we extrapolate from the Pasuk that, had Adam not sinned, he would have lived forever?
Ramban (citing Chazal): Adam was indeed destined to live forever, provided he did not sin. 1
The Ramban rejects outright the explanation of 'Anshei Teva', - who deny Divine Creation - who say that being formed from natural elements, he would have had to die anyway, only that if he would sin, he would die sooner (in similar fashion to other Chayvei Misah in the Torah) Because, since the Creation was performed by Hashem, so too, is continued existence in His Hands!
How is it that Hashem told Adam that on the day he eats from the Tree he will die, yet he lived nine hundred and thirty years?
Rashi (in Tehilim 25:6): Hashem said that he would die on that day, and, based on a Pasuk (Tehilim 90:4), Hashem's day is equal to a thousand years. In that case, Adam did indeed die on that day, just as Hashem said he would. 1
Ramban and Targum Yonasan: What Hashem meant was (not that he would die on that day, but) that he would be Chayav Misah on that day.
The Riva cites a Midrash which states that Hashem gave to Adam one of His years, and Adam gave seventy years to his descendants - "Yemei Shenoseinu bahem Shiv'im Shanah" (Tehilim 90:10).
If Adam was not permitted to eat from the Eitz ha?Da?as, why did Hashem create it?
In order to test Adam - via the snake, and to determine his future lifestyle and that of his descendents. If he would not eat from the Eitz ha?Da?as, he would live forever in Gan Eden, eating its fruit and spending his life - totally devoid of materialism, serving Hashem by learning Torah and through Tefilah exclusively, and if he would eat from it, he would be forced to spend his time working, 1 with an ongoing Yeitzer ha?Ra that would attempt to make him sin and which he would have to constantly fight to overcome.
See Oznayim la?Torah, who poses the question and defines the outcome of eating from the Eitz ha?Da?as in similar fashion, but does not seem to answer the question.
Why is death not listed among the curses given to man due to eating from the tree (3: 17-19)?
Peninim mi'Shulchan ha'Gra: The nature of Mitzvos is, "Asher Ya'aseh ha'Adam va'Chai Bahem" (Vayikra 18:5). In addition, we are commanded to observe them. The nature of Aveiros is lethal poison. The curses listed below are for transgressing Hashem's command.
