(א) וַיֹּ֧סֶף אַבְרָהָ֛ם וַיִּקַּ֥ח אִשָּׁ֖ה וּשְׁמָ֥הּ קְטוּרָֽה׃ (ב) וַתֵּ֣לֶד ל֗וֹ אֶת־זִמְרָן֙ וְאֶת־יׇקְשָׁ֔ן וְאֶת־מְדָ֖ן וְאֶת־מִדְיָ֑ן וְאֶת־יִשְׁבָּ֖ק וְאֶת־שֽׁוּחַ׃ (ג) וְיׇקְשָׁ֣ן יָלַ֔ד אֶת־שְׁבָ֖א וְאֶת־דְּדָ֑ן וּבְנֵ֣י דְדָ֔ן הָי֛וּ אַשּׁוּרִ֥ם וּלְטוּשִׁ֖ם וּלְאֻמִּֽים׃ (ד) וּבְנֵ֣י מִדְיָ֗ן עֵיפָ֤ה וָעֵ֙פֶר֙ וַחֲנֹ֔ךְ וַאֲבִידָ֖ע וְאֶלְדָּעָ֑ה כׇּל־אֵ֖לֶּה בְּנֵ֥י קְטוּרָֽה׃ (ה) וַיִּתֵּ֧ן אַבְרָהָ֛ם אֶת־כׇּל־אֲשֶׁר־ל֖וֹ לְיִצְחָֽק׃ (ו) וְלִבְנֵ֤י הַפִּֽילַגְשִׁים֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר לְאַבְרָהָ֔ם נָתַ֥ן אַבְרָהָ֖ם מַתָּנֹ֑ת וַֽיְשַׁלְּחֵ֞ם מֵעַ֨ל יִצְחָ֤ק בְּנוֹ֙ בְּעוֹדֶ֣נּוּ חַ֔י קֵ֖דְמָה אֶל־אֶ֥רֶץ קֶֽדֶם׃ (ז) וְאֵ֗לֶּה יְמֵ֛י שְׁנֵֽי־חַיֵּ֥י אַבְרָהָ֖ם אֲשֶׁר־חָ֑י מְאַ֥ת שָׁנָ֛ה וְשִׁבְעִ֥ים שָׁנָ֖ה וְחָמֵ֥שׁ שָׁנִֽים׃ (ח) וַיִּגְוַ֨ע וַיָּ֧מׇת אַבְרָהָ֛ם בְּשֵׂיבָ֥ה טוֹבָ֖ה זָקֵ֣ן וְשָׂבֵ֑עַ וַיֵּאָ֖סֶף אֶל־עַמָּֽיו׃ (ט) וַיִּקְבְּר֨וּ אֹת֜וֹ יִצְחָ֤ק וְיִשְׁמָעֵאל֙ בָּנָ֔יו אֶל־מְעָרַ֖ת הַמַּכְפֵּלָ֑ה אֶל־שְׂדֵ֞ה עֶפְרֹ֤ן בֶּן־צֹ֙חַר֙ הַֽחִתִּ֔י אֲשֶׁ֖ר עַל־פְּנֵ֥י מַמְרֵֽא׃ (י) הַשָּׂדֶ֛ה אֲשֶׁר־קָנָ֥ה אַבְרָהָ֖ם מֵאֵ֣ת בְּנֵי־חֵ֑ת שָׁ֛מָּה קֻבַּ֥ר אַבְרָהָ֖ם וְשָׂרָ֥ה אִשְׁתּֽוֹ׃ (יא) וַיְהִ֗י אַחֲרֵי֙ מ֣וֹת אַבְרָהָ֔ם וַיְבָ֥רֶךְ אֱלֹהִ֖ים אֶת־יִצְחָ֣ק בְּנ֑וֹ וַיֵּ֣שֶׁב יִצְחָ֔ק עִם־בְּאֵ֥ר לַחַ֖י רֹאִֽי׃ {פ}
(1) Abraham added, and took a wife, whose name was Keturah. (2) She bore him Zimran, Yokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. (3) Yokshan begot Sheva and Dedan. The descendants of Dedan were the Ashurim, the Letushim, and the Leumim. (4) The descendants of Midian were Eyphah, Epher, Chanoch, Avida, and Elda'ah. All these were descendants of Keturah. (5) Abraham willed all that he owned to Isaac; (6) but to Abraham’s sons by concubines Abraham gave gifts while he was still living, and he sent them away from his son Isaac eastward, to the land of the East. (7) This was the total span of Abraham’s life: one hundred and seventy-five years. (8) And Abraham breathed his last, dying at a good ripe age, old and contented; and he was gathered to his kin.” (9) His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron son of Zohar the Hittite, facing Mamre, (10) the field that Abraham had bought from the Hittites; there Abraham was buried, and Sarah his wife. (11) After the death of Abraham, God blessed his son Isaac. And Isaac settled near Be'er-lahai-roi.
~ How old is Avraham at his marriage to Keturah?
~ What problems can you find in this story? Read closely verse 6.
~ What is Keturah's status in the simple reading of the narrative?
~ Who is she?
קטורה KETURAH — This is Hagar. She was named Keturah because her deeds were as beautiful (sweet) as incense (Ketoret). And since she closed her 'opening,' as she did not mate with anyone from the time she separated from Avraham (Genesis Rabbah 61:4).
~ Who does Rashi portray as Keturah, based on the midrash?
~ What is the expectation regarding Hagar?
~ Rashbam is one of Rashi's grandsons. Does he agree with Rashi?
KETURAH. Keturah cannot to be identified with Hagar because Scripture explicitly states, But unto the sons of the concubines (pilagshim), that Abraham had, Abraham gave gifts (v. 6). The meaning of pilegesh (concubine) is a handmaid. This term cannot refer to a male. We can explain the same form with the plural for women.
~ According to IbnEzra, who is Keturah?
~ What is Keturah's status?
ויוסף אברהם ויקח אשה, “Avraham continued life as usual by taking a wife;” this is a reference to Hagar who now had a another name, Keturah. We find a similar formulation to the above in Isaiah 8,5: ויוסף ה' דבר אלי עוד, “the Lord continued by speaking to me again;” the Torah wished to teach us civilised norms by reporting this, i.e. that when widower’s sons have grown up but have not married yet, he should wait with remarrying until his children are married. In order to make the point that a widower under the right conditions is to marry again is why the above line has been written immediately after the Torah had reported the marriage of Yitzchak to Rivkah.
~ According to the Chizkuni, who is Keturah?
~ What does the text teach, in his opinion?
ושמה קטורה, “whose name was Keturah"; Rashi comments on this that her name now was קטורה Keturah as her good deeds were comparable to the incense, קטורת Ketoret. To your question that this appears to contradict what we have read in Rashi’s own commentary on Genesis 21:14 ותלך ותתע, "and she walked and erred" that Hagar had returned to the idolatrous practices she had learned in her father’s house, you will have to say that in the many years since then (over 40 years) she had become a ba'alat teshuvah, and on account of that her name had been changed by the Torah. According to the plain meaning of the text, Keturah is not identical with Hagar.
~ How does Chizkuni explain the change of name?
~ Is it easy to recreate oneself?
ויוסף אברהם ויקח אשה ושמה קטורה. חזר ונשא את הגר וקראה קטורה על שם שמעשיה נאים כקטורת, וכן משמע לשון ויוסף שנשאה שנית, ויש לנו ליתן טעם למה קראה עכשיו קטורה על שם מעשיה, ועוד שזה סותר למה שפירש״י פרשת וירא (כא יד) ותלך ותתע שחזרה לגילולי בית אביה. והקרוב אלי לומר בזה שמתחילה גרשה על פי בקשת שרה, כי אברהם היה טפל לשרה בנבואה וידעה שרה בנבואה שסופה לחזור לגילולי בית אביה, וגם ראתה בישמעאל בנה שהיה מצחק שיש במשמעותו גם ע״ג, שנאמר (תשא לב ו) ויקומו לצחק. על כן אמרה גרש את האמה הזאת ואת בנה, כי מעשה שניהם שוים כי לא יירש בן האמה הזאת עם בני עם יצחק, כי לא יירש ממעשה אברהם. וירע הדבר בעיני אברהם כי לא ידע ברוח הקודש אמונת הע״ג אשר בלבם, לפיכך נאמר לו כל אשר תאמר אליך שרה שמע בקולה, ומכאן למדו שאברהם טפל לשרה בנבואה. מיד וישלחה בגירושין, ותלך ותתע כאשר אמרה שרה, וא״כ מאחר שגרשה מחמת ערות דבר של ע״ג קשה איך חזר ולקחה, על כן בא לתרץ ולומר שעשתה תשובה, כמו ישמעאל בנה שעשה ג״כ תשובה, וכדי לפרסם זה קרא אברהם שמה קטורה, על שם הקטורת כי פרסם לכל שעשתה תשובה, וכל בעל תשובה נעשים לו הזדונות כזכיות והזדונות עולים לריח ניחוח כמו הזכיות, על כן המשילה לקטורת שהחלבנה שריחו רע עולה לריח ניחוח ככל שאר הבשמים, וזה דמיון נאות על חטאי הבעלי תשובה שעולין לריח ניחוח, וכמ״ש (ישעיה מ ב) כי נרצה עונה. שאחר התשובה גם העון נרצה ומקובל על כן נקראת קטורה.
Avraham added and took. The word vayosef — “again” — has connotations of continuing a previous relationship, hinting that this was the second time he married her. Keturah. See Rashi. Avraham named her in honor of the holy incense to make it known that she had repented fully after having lapsed into idolatry, so that now even her former deeds ascended to Heaven like the incense. And the interpretation closest to me is that Avraham had expelled her because of the request of Sarah, since Avraham was lower than she in prophecy level, and Sarah knew through her prophetic powers that Hagar would go back to the idolatry of her father's house. Sarah also had seen that Yishmael metzachek, which also has connotation of idolatry from "and they rose to tzachek". This is why Sarah said "expel this slave and her son" because their deeds were equal, "because my son, Itzchak, will not inherit with the son of this slave" since he won't inherit the deeds of Avraham. "And the thing was bad in the eyes of Avraham" because he did not know the depth of their emotional connection with idolatry [which Sarah knew] through divine inspiration. That is why it is written "everything that Sarah says to you, listen to her", and from here we learn that Avraham was lower than Sarah in prophecy. He sent her through divorce, and "she walked and erred" as Sarah had said. And after the fact that he sent her away due to idolatry, it is difficult to fathom how he could take her back, and so therefore the answer to that is that she made teshuvah, just as Yishmael her son. And it was to make public the fact that she made teshuvah that Avraham called her name Keturah, since the ktoret (incense) announces for everyone that she made teshuvah. And everyone who does teshuvah, their previous misdeeds become merits, and the misdeeds rise as a sweet smelling odor. Avraham compared her to ktoret because the incense mixed with galbanum, which has a terrible smell, makes the mixture a pleasing odor, and this is a illustration for the beauty of the sins of the ba'al teshuvah, that go up as a pleasing odor, as it is written "her sin is wanted" (Isaiah 40:2), since after teshuvah even sins become wanted and received. And this is why she is called Keturah.
~ What does the Kli Yakar add? Why?
~ Who is Keturah, according to him?
And Avraham added - ויסף אברהם - he took another wife although he already had had two wives. He meant to continue siring children in his old age in order to comply with the blessing/command to increase the world’s population. Seeing that the continuity of his own seed had been assured, he was not concerned with the antecedents of Keturah. We can be certain, however, that he selected a woman who personally possessed all the good qualities he would have desired also for a wife for his son. The only thing he did not insist on was such a woman’s national background. He was certainly not looking for experiencing disappointments with any children from Keturah, having experienced enough disappointment with Ishmael. We may safely assume that Keturah was not of Canaanite descent, seeing that even Hagar the Egyptian had not been of such descent. Keturah was not a concubine, this is why the Torah writes ויקח אשה, "and he took a wife" as apposed to the mention of פלגשים, concubines, (verse 5). The sons of the concubines are not mentioned by name whereas the sons of Keturah are all mentioned by their names. This fact alone clearly shows that their status was superior to the sons of Avraham’s concubines. The essential difference between a wife and a concubine is that though both are exclusive partners of the men with whom they live, the former, when becoming wives, underwent the ceremony known as chuppah, and the union was celebrated with a wedding party, whereas a concubine was not accorded all this pomp and ceremony. [after the Torah was given, the essential; difference in status was that no financial settlement, ketuvah, was made when a concubine was taken by a man as his companion.
~ Radak has a specific view of our text. Is it possible to know all the descendants of Avraham?
ויקח אשה ושמה קטורה, “he married a wife whose name was Keturah.” Although in years to come, Israelites were not permitted to marry Egyptians, seeing that the Torah decreed in Deuteronomy that only commencing with the third generation after conversion were Egyptians acceptable as marriage partners, even if it was Hagar who had been converted, the fact that her father was Pharaoh that made her only a second generation even if we consider him as a first generation convert. According to Genesis Rabbah 61:4, Avraham married her at the express command by God.
~ What does the Da'at Zekenim want to add?
~ What is the basic problem they raise?
Two solutions from Source Criticism
Richard Elliot Friedman (The Bible with Sources Revealed [Harper Collins, 2003]) sees verses 1–4 as coming from E and verses 5–6 as redactional. In this view, the redactor is trying to turn Keturah into just one of Abraham’s concubines, a view accepted by Chronicles. Chronicles, a late biblical book that knows and integrates traditions from the Torah and other earlier material, resolves this problem by calling Keturah a concubine from the start: וּבְנֵי קְטוּרָה פִּילֶגֶשׁ אַבְרָהָם, “The sons of Keturah, Abraham’s concubine” (1 Chr 1:32). This solution doesn’t change the fact that the Torah calls her a wife, however, and it doesn’t deal with the problem that Keturah is one person/concubine, not many.
Claus Westermann, in his commentary on Genesis suggests that the primary purpose of these verses “is to associate the names that follow with Abraham. This is done by introducing another wife… This is not to be understood biographically.”
This means that the function of this marriage with Abraham is to connect certain tribes with Abraham, in a symbolic move, so as to explain geographical and ethnic proximity through family relationships. Keturah would be a “matriarchal bridge” between the Israelites and several neighboring tribes, suggesting that Abraham was “related” to various tribes who grew and traded aromatic spices.
ויסף אברהם ויקח אשה ושמה קטורה. במדרש (תנחומא חיי ז') זה שאמר הכתוב (תהלים ע"א,י"ד) ואני תמיד איחל והוספתי על כל תהלתך כו' אמר רבי חוניא כתיב ביום השמיני ימול כל בשר ערלתו כו' הוי אומר והוספתי על כל תהלתך. היינו כי אברהם בהתבוננו כמה דורות גדולים וגבוהים מעל גבוהים יעמדו ממנו, אזי נפל בדעתו אולי הוא לא יהיה נחשב נגדם, והאיר לו השי"ת שכולם יהיו צריכים להתחיל בהשער וההוספה שהוסיף אברהם אבינו, כי מצות מילה רומז על זה, שהאדם מוסיף ועושה חותם בבשר הגוף שעל ידו יקבע בגופו קדושה בקביעות שיהיה גם בהגוף רשימה שהוא לחלקו של השי"ת.
Abraham added, and took a wife, whose name was Keturah (Gen. 25:1). In the midrash (Tanchuma Chayey 7:2): "R. Hunya said: It is written: And in the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised (Lev. 12:3). This indicates that a man should even go into debt in order to make the circumcision a day of rejoicing. Hence it says: And will praise Thee, yet more and more (Ps. 71:14). The rabbis maintained that this verse speaks of Abraham. He said to the Holy One, blessed be He: “You told me: For in Isaac shall seed be called unto thee (Gen. 21:12). You have multiplied Your blessings upon me, and I have borne many sons.” Hence it is said: And Abraham took another wife." That is, Avraham meditated and understood how many great generations, and even greater, would come from him, and then he thought that he himself will be thought as nothing by comparison to them, and the Holy Blessed Name clarified to him that all would need to begin at the entrance and the addition that Avraham our Father did, since the mitzvah of the brit milah is a hint to that, that a person needs to add, making a holy seal on the body, so that through this it will always be a constant reminder that the body, too, is a piece of the Holy Blessed Name.
~ What is the point of the midrash (quoted in its entirety), as a stand alone?
~ How does the Mei HaShiloach understand the midrash?
~ What is a question that seems to preoccupy both the midrash and the Mei HaShiloach, in terms of Ketura's and Avraham's children?
The poskim (halachic decisors) were split regarding the children of Keturah, whom Avraham married after Sarah's death, as it says "Abraham added, and took a wife, whose name was Keturah" (Genesis 25:1). Keturah gave six boys to Avraham, and the question is whether they are obligated in circumcision or not. According to Rashi on the Talmud (Sanhedrin 59b) the children of Keturah are no obligated in that mitzvah, given that circumcision belongs to the descendants of Yaakov, as it says "in Yitzchak your seed will be called". However, in the opinion of the Rambam, the verse "in Yitzchak your seed will be called" is there to exclude only the children of Yishmael and Esav, but the children of Keturah were not born at tht time, and therefore even if they are not Israelites they are still obligated in the mitzvah of circumcision as descendant of Avraham. And since the children of Yishmael mixed with the children of Keturah, and the children of Keturah are more numerous, even though all are called by the name Yishmael, they are still obligated in circumcision (Rambam, Laws of Kings, 10:8)
~ What is the question of the Peninei Halachah?
~ Why do you think the Rambam holds as he does, given his environment?
~ What do you think about this preoccupation? How does the American society understand circumcision?
~ What is the request that Geviha ben Pesisa tries to respond? How does he do it?
~ Look at the inheritance of the sons of Ketura and Hagar. What is the vision of Avraham that the sages of the Talmud add?