AND ABRAHAM TOOK ANOTHER WIFE, AND HER NAME WAS KETURAH. Keturah was none other than Hagar. For we know by tradition that though Hagar when she left Abraham went astray after the idols of her ancestors, yet in time she again attached herself to a life of virtue. Hence her name Keturah (lit. attached). Abraham then sent for her and took her to wife. From here we learn that a change of name acts as an atonement for sin, since that was the reason why her name was changed.
The term vayoseph (lit. and he added) here indicates not that Abraham took another wife, but that he took again his former spouse whom he had driven out on account of Ishmael, and who had now abandoned her evil practices, and had made a change in her name symbolical of her change of life.
Observe that R. Eleazar, in comment on the passage, “And Isaac brought her into the tent-Sarah his mother”, said that the form of Sarah was there revealed, and Isaac was comforted by virtue of this, as he looked at her image every day. But Abraham, although he married again, never entered Sarah’s tent nor allowed that woman to enter there, for a handmaid may not be heir to her mistress. No other woman, in fact, ever appeared in Sarah’s tent save Rebekah.
And although Abraham knew that Sarah’s image revealed itself there, he left the tent entirely to Isaac to behold each day his mother’s form. This is indicated in the verse, AND ABRAHAM GAVE ALL THAT HE HAD UNTO ISAAC , where the expression all that he had” indicates the form of Sarah that was installed in that dwelling.
According to another explanation this verse indicates that Abraham transmitted to Isaac the exalted doctrine of the true faith, so that he should be attached to his rightful grade.
וַיּוֹסֶף אַבְרָהָם וַיִּקַּח אִשָּׁה וּשְׁמָהּ קְטוּרָה. קְטוּרָה דָא הִיא הָגָר. דְּהָא תָּנִינָן בָּתַר דְּאִתְפְּרָשָׁא הָגָר מִנֵּיהּ דְּאַבְרָהָם וְטָעַת בָּתַר גִּלּוּלֵי דְּאֲבוּהָ, לְבָתַר אִתְקַּשְׁרָא בְּעוֹבָדִין דְכַשְׁרָן, וּבְגִין כָּךְ אִשְׁתַּנֵּי שְׁמָהּ וְאִקְרֵי קְטוּרָה בְּעוֹבָדִין דְּכָשְׁרָן, וְשָׁדַר אַבְרָהָם וּנְסָבָהּ לֵיהּ לְאִנְתּוּ. מִכָּאן דְּשִׁנּוּי שְׁמָא מְכַפֵּר חוֹבִין, וְעַל דָּא אִשְׁתַּנֵּי שְׁמָהּ.
AND ABRAHAM TOOK ANOTHER WIFE, AND HER NAME WAS KETURAH. Keturah was none other than Hagar. For we know by tradition that though Hagar when she left Abraham went astray after the idols of her ancestors, yet in time she again attached herself to a life of virtue. Hence her name Keturah (lit. attached). Abraham then sent for her and took her to wife. From here we learn that a change of name acts as an atonement for sin, since that was the reason why her name was changed.
וַיּוֹסֶף אַבְרָהָם, מַאי וַיּוֹסֶף, אִי תֵימָא דְּעַל שָׂרָה אִיהוּ דְּאוֹסִיף, לָאו הָכִי. אֶלָּא בְּיוֹמָהָא דְשָׂרָה אִזְדַּוַּוג בַּהֲדָהּ זִמְנָא חָדָא, וּלְבָתַר תָּרִיךְ לָהּ עַל עִסְקֵי דְיִשְׁמָעֵאל, וּלְבָתַר וַיּוֹסֶף כְּמִלְקַדְמִין זִמְנָא אָחֳרָא עַל מַה דְּנָסִיב לָהּ בְּקַדְמִיתָא. וּכְפוּם דְשָׁנֵי עוֹבָדָהָא הָכִי נָמֵי שָׁנֵי שְׁמָהּ.
The term vayoseph (lit. and he added) here indicates not that Abraham took another wife, but that he took again his former spouse whom he had driven out on account of Ishmael, and who had now abandoned her evil practices, and had made a change in her name symbolical of her change of life.
תָּא חֲזֵי, דְּאָמַר רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר וַיְבִיאֶהָ יִצְחָק הָאֹהלָה שָׂרָה אִמּוֹ. דְּאִתְגַּלְיָא דִּיוּקְנָא דְשָׂרָה וְיִצְחָק אִתְנְחָם אַחֲרֵי דְּאִתְגַּלְיָא אִמּוֹ, וְדִיוּקְנָהָא הֲוָה חָמֵי כָּל יוֹמָא. וְאַבְרָהָם אַף עַל גַּב דְּאִינְסִיב לָא עָאל בְּהַהוּא בֵּיתָא וְלָא אָעִיל לָהּ לְהַאי אִתְּתָא תַּמָּן, בְּגִין דְּשִׁפְחָה לֹא תִירַשׁ גְּבִירְתָּה. וּבְאֹהֶל דְּשָׂרָה לָא אִתְחֲזֵי אִתְּתָא אָחֳרָא אֶלָּא רִבְקָה.
Observe that R. Eleazar, in comment on the passage, “And Isaac brought her into the tent-Sarah his mother”, said that the form of Sarah was there revealed, and Isaac was comforted by virtue of this, as he looked at her image every day. But Abraham, although he married again, never entered Sarah’s tent nor allowed that woman to enter there, for a handmaid may not be heir to her mistress. No other woman, in fact, ever appeared in Sarah’s tent save Rebekah.
וְאַבְרָהָם אַף עַל גַּב דְּהֲוָה יָדַע דְּדִיוּקְנָא דְשָׂרָה אִתְגַלְּיָיא תַּמָּן, שַׁבְקֵיהּ לְיִצְחָק הַהוּא אֹהֶל לְמֶחמֵי דִּיוּקְנָא דְאִמֵּיהּ כָּל יוֹמָא. יִצְחָק וְלָא אַבְרָהָם, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב וַיִּתֵּן אַבְרָהָם אֶת כָּל אֲשֶׁר לוֹ לְיִצְחָק. אֶת כָּל אֲשֶׁר לוֹ דַיְיקָא, דָּא הַהוּא דִּיוּקְנָא דְשָׂרָה בְּהַהוּא מַשְׁכְּנָא.
And although Abraham knew that Sarah’s image revealed itself there, he left the tent entirely to Isaac to behold each day his mother’s form. This is indicated in the verse, AND ABRAHAM GAVE ALL THAT HE HAD UNTO ISAAC , where the expression all that he had” indicates the form of Sarah that was installed in that dwelling.
דָּבָר אַחֵר וַיִתֵּן אַבְרָהָם אֶת כָּל אֲשֶׁר לוֹ לְיִצְחָק, רָזָא דִמְהֵימְנוּתָא עִלָּאָה לְאִתְדַּבְּקָא יִצְחָק בְּדַרְגָּא דְחוּלָקֵיהּ כְּדְקָא יְאוּת. תָּא חֲזֵי, הָכָא אִתְכְּלִיל (ס"אמיא באשא) אֶשָׁא בְּמַיָא, וַדַּאי אֶשָׁא נָטִיל מַיָא, מַשְׁמַע וַיִּתֵּן אַבְרָהָם אֶת כָּל אֲשֶׁר לוֹ לְיִצְחָק דָּא מַיָא דְּאִתְכְּלִיל בְּאֶשָׁא. וּבְקַדְמִיתָא אִתְכְּלִיל כְּחֲדָא אֶשָׁא בְּמַיָא. אֵימָתַי, בְּשַׁעְתָּא דְּעָקַד לֵיהּ לְיִצְחָק לְמֶעְבַּד בֵּיהּ דִּינָא כְּדֵין אִתְכְּלִיל אֶשָׁא בְּמַיָא. וְהַשְׁתָּא אִתְכְּלִילוּ מַיָא בְּאֶשָׁא, לְמֶהוֵי כֹּלָּא רָזָא דִּמְהֵימְנוּתָא עִלָּאָה:
According to another explanation this verse indicates that Abraham transmitted to Isaac the exalted doctrine of the true faith, so that he should be attached to his rightful grade.