Ketura
With gratitude
and in honor of the bar mitzvah, this year b'ezrat Hashem,
of our twin sons, Michael and Joshua -
Steven Weiner and Lisa Wise
*********************************************************
PARASHAT
CHAYEI SARA
SICHA
OF HARAV YAAQOV MEDAN SHLIT”A
Ketura
Translated
by Kaeren Fish
A.
THREE WOMEN
Our
parasha is clearly divisible into three sections, according to the main
character in each. Chapter 23 deals
entirely with Sara and her burial; chapter 24 discusses Rivka and her marriage
to Yitzchak, and chapter 25 (or at least the first part of it) deals with Ketura
[1].
This
structure presents a clear message. Sara's death leaves a vacuum on two levels:
Avraham is left without a wife, and Am Yisrael is left without a matriarch. The
first vacuum is filled by Ketura, Avraham's new wife, while the second is filled
by Rivka. She enters Sara's tent as Yitzchak's wife, and survives Sara as the
second matriarch of Israel for all future generations [2].
Chazal
focus, naturally, on the second level, and describe at length how Rivka filled
the void left by Sara's death:
"'Yitzchak
brought her to the tent of Sara, his mother' – As long as Sara lived, a cloud
was attached to the entrance to her tent. When she died, this cloud disappeared,
and when Rivka came, it reappeared.
As
long as Sara lived, the doors were open wide; when Sara died, the openness
disappeared; and when Rivka came, the openness reappeared.
As
long as Sara lived, there was blessing in the dough; when Sara died the blessing
ceased; and when Rivka came it was restored.
As
long as Sara lived, a candle burned from one Shabbat eve to the next; when she
died, the candle ceased, and when Rivka came it was restored." (Bereishit Rabba
9, and Rashi 24:16)
Chazal
compare the forefathers' tent to the Holy of Holies in the Temple, since the
Divine Presence was revealed to the forefathers in their tents in the same way
that it was revealed to Moshe from above the covering between the two keruvim.
The structure of the matriarchs' tent therefore also paralleled the image of the
Temple: the cloud attached to the tent resembled the cloud of ketoret (incense)
that arose from the golden altar, the light that remained burning resembled the
menora, and the blessing that was bestowed on the bread parallels the
showbread.
In
a certain sense, though, Rivka may be perceived as filling a void left by Sara
as Avraham's wife, even though she did not marry him. Proof of this is to be
found in Avraham's command to his servant, the elder of his household, as to how
to evaluate a bride suitable for his son:
"The
servant said to him: Perhaps the woman will not agree to follow me to this land;
shall I then take your son back to the land from which you came?
Avraham
said to him: Guard yourself lest you take my son back there. The Lord God of the
heavens, Who took me from my father's house and from the land of my birth, and
Who spoke to me and promised to me, saying, 'To your seed I shall give this
land' – He will send His angel before you, and you will take a wife for my son
from there. And if the woman will not agree to follow you, you will be free of
this oath; only do not take my son there." (24:5-8)
The
woman destined to be Yitzchak's wife will be tested as to her willingness to
leave her birthplace in Charan and to journey to an unknown land. She, too, will
thereby fulfill the commandment that was given to Avraham: "Go, then, from your
land and from your birthplace and from your father's house, to the land which I
will show you." Without this test of faith, the woman is not worthy of
inheriting Sara's heritage and becoming Avraham's
daughter-in-law.
The
wise servant understands the message that is left unsaid, and tests Rivka in
terms of another characteristic of Avraham's home – the warm
hospitality:
"Behold,
I am standing by the well, and the daughters of the townspeople are coming out
to draw water. Let the girl to whom I shall say, 'Please let down your pitcher
and let me drink,' and she will answer, 'Drink, and I shall water your camels,
too' – let her be the one whom You have destined for your servant for Yitzchak;
thereby shall I know that You have shown kindness to my master."
(24:13-14)
Avraham's
daughter-in-law is evaluated in terms of the two founding pillars of the Nation
of Israel: kindness and faith.
B.
FOR WHAT REASON DOES AVRAHAM REMARRY?
The
necessity of Rivka's inclusion into the family and her positive qualities are
obvious. But for what reason does Avraham marry Ketura? Rashi attempts to
present her positive traits:
"Ketura
– this was Hagar. She is called 'Ketura' because her actions were pleasant like
incense (ketoret), and because she had remained celibate, not having relations
with anyone from the day that she separated from Avraham." (Rashi,
25:1)
But
Rashi would appear to be contradicting himself. Previously, he commented
concerning Hagar:
"'She
departed and she wandered' – she returned to the idols of her father's house."
(Rashi, 21:14)
How
can Rashi speak of the actions of an idolater as being
pleasant?
From
the narrative itself, it would seem that the entire purpose of this second
marriage was to bear more children. The midrash teaches:
"'In
the morning – sow your seed, and towards evening do not cease' (Kohelet 11:6) –
if you have children when you are young, marry a wife in your old age and bear
[more] children. From whom do we learn this? From Avraham, who married a wife
and had children when he was younger, and he took [another] wife in his old
age." (Yalkut Shimoni 109)
What
is the point of bearing more children, when ultimately Avraham was going to send
them away, just as he did Yishmael?
"Avraham
gave all that he had to Yitzchak. And to the children of the concubines, Avraham
gave gifts, and he sent them away from Yitzchak his son, while he was still
alive, eastwards, to the land of the east." (25:5-6)
Perhaps
Avraham's need to bear numerous children is related to the difference between
the two covenants that God made with him. In the context of his circumcision,
God tells him explicitly: "I shall establish My covenant with Yitzchak, whom
Sara will bear to you at this time next year." This is a covenant that will be
established only with his consecrated seed – Yitzchak the son of Sara. This
covenant promises Avraham the land of Canaan, which will be given to Yitzchak's
descendant – Yaakov, and will be settled by Yaakov's descendants, divided into
inheritances for the tribes, each comprised of its households. This is the holy
land, promised to Israel: "It shall be for you alone, no strangers [will inherit
it] with you" (Mishlei 5:17).
But
God also made another covenant with Avraham – the "covenant of the parts" (berit
bein ha-betarim), where He mentions not "the land of Canaan" but rather "the
land" – from the Nile to the Euphrates [3]. The content of this covenant
discusses not the sanctity of Avraham's descendants, but rather the historical
process that they will endure in exile, as strangers, in servitude and
oppression, until they build up their independent kingdom in their own land, no
longer under foreign rule.
The
land of Canaan lies between the Jordan and the Mediterranean Sea; it is holy
ground, and concerning it the Torah teaches, "The land has become defiled and I
have visited its iniquities upon it, and the land shall spew out its
inhabitants" (Vayikra 18:25). But such a tiny land seems inadequate for the
establishment of an independent sovereignty. Throughout the biblical period, so
long as these were the borders of the Kingdom of Israel, independence was
short-lived, and it was subject to whatever the reigning empire was at the time.
The situation in modern times bears out the same conclusion: the State of Israel
in its borders between the Jordan and the Mediterranean (the so-called "Greater
Land of Israel") is not an independent entity; it relies upon the favor of
foreign powers, especially that of the U.S.
The
geo-political unit that represents the independent kingdom of Israel lies
between the Nile and the Euphrates. If we look at a map, we note that this is
not a particularly large area. The Persian Empire, this entire expanse
constitutes only one province out of the one hundred and twenty comprising the
Empire! These, then, are the borders of the independent kingdom of Israel, and
indeed it was only when these were the actual borders – during the reigns of
David and Shelomo – that the kingdom of Israel was entirely independent.
Therefore, when discussing the inheritance of Am Yisrael from a historical point
of view, and the transition from being strangers to political independence, we
are speaking of the complete Eretz Yisrael – from the Nile to the
Euphrates.
However,
the nation is unable to populate the wide expanses of this land and its vast
wildernesses until God fulfills His promise (Devarim 1:11) and increases our
number a thousand-fold over the number that originally entered the land (i.e.,
six hundred thousand times one thousand).
This,
apparently, is the reason why Avraham had many children and sent them away from
Yitzchak, his son. Yishmael was banished to the wilderness of Sinai, which leads
on to Egypt; the children of Ketura were sent to the eastern wilderness, which
stretches up to the area around the Euphrates. In this way, Avraham tried to
fill the land between the Nile and the Euphrates with his offspring: the
children of Yishmael, the children of Ketura, Edom and the children of Lot –
Ammon and Moav, who are also considered his descendants. All would live in "the
land" – the land between the Nile and the Euphrates – but only Yitzchak, with
whom God had established the covenant of circumcision, would live in the holy
land of Canaan.
Further
on in the Torah, it becomes clear that the entire great land is given to Am
Yisrael. We find this stated explicitly several times, especially in Sefer
Devarim:
"If
you will guard well all of these commandments which I command you to do, to love
the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and to cleave to Him, then God will
drive out all of these nations from before you, and you will possess nations
greater and mightier than you. Every place where your feet tread – shall be
yours, from the wilderness and Levanon, from the great River Euphrates up to the
furthermost sea shall be your border. No man shall be able to stand up to you;
God will put the fear of you and dread of you upon all the land where you will
tread, as He has spoken to you." (Devarim 11:22-25)
From
the style, we note that the great land is given to the descendants of Yaakov, to
rule it and to make it their kingdom, but together with them live all the
descendants of Avraham [4]. Yaakov is blessed with the inheritance of the land
after his battle against Esav for the birthright and the
blessing:
"Nations
will serve you and peoples will bow down to you; you shall be a lord over your
brethren and your mother's children will bow down to you; those who curse you
will be cursed, and those that bless you will be blessed."
(27:29)
From
the above, one might have the impression that perhaps the level of Avraham's
descendants – the children of Ketura and of Yishmael, and later on the children
of Esav – is somehow higher than the level of other gentiles. Perhaps their
right to dwell in those areas of the great land that lie outside of the Land of
Canaan (only!), on condition that they accept Jewish sovereignty over them, is a
legitimate right anchored in the Torah [5].
This
question brings us to our final point: a dispute between the Tanaim in the
Midrash as to whether Ketura was Hagar or another woman.
"Rabbi
said: Hagar is the same as Ketura. Why is she called Ketura? Because she was
completely celibate [after originally being banished by Avraham].
But
the Sages said: He married a different woman.
What
is Rabbi's reason for saying that Hagar is Ketura? For it is written concerning
Yitzchak, 'Yitzchak came from the way of Be'er Le-chai Ro'i' – the same that is
referred to in the verse, 'She called the Name of God Who spoke to her: You are
E-l Ro'i.' From this we learn that she was Hagar." (Tanchuma, Chayei Sara
8)
We
have already noted that Rashi would appear, in his commentary on chapter 25, to
adopt the approach of Rabbi, despite the fact that in chapter 21 he rejects
Hagar completely, interpreting the text in accordance with the Sages who
disagree with Rabbi.
Rabbi's
proof for his claim is based on the juxtaposition of Avraham's marriage to
Ketura to Yitzchak's arrival from Be'er Le-chai Ro'i – the place where Hagar
dwelled. There may even be another proof: according to the description in our
parasha, Yishmael dwelled in the western Negev and in Sinai up until Shur of
Egypt, while the children of Ketura were sent "eastwards to the land of the
east" – to the wilderness on the eastern side of the mountains of Gilad. In the
story of the sale of Yosef, we witness, throughout the route from the eastern
wilderness to Egypt, cooperation between the Yishmaelites and the Midianites.
Likewise in the story of Gidon's battle against Midian and the "children of the
east," we are told explicitly that the Midianites' earrings belonged to the
Yishmaelites (Shoftim 8:24). In Sefer Divrei ha-Yamim, we find a description of
a great war that Reuven, Gad and half the tribe of Menashe fight against the
tribes of the eastern wilderness (where the children of Ketura dwelled), known
as the Geri'ites (geri'im) – i.e., the children of Hagar (Divrei ha-Yamim I
5:18-20). From all of these sources, it would appear that the children of
Yishmael and the children of Ketura are the same family. In light of these
verses, Rabbi maintains that "Hagar is Ketura," and hence the descendants of
Hagar and the descendants of Ketura are the same.
NOTES:
[1]
Chazal maintain that Ketura is Hagar; if this is so, then chapter 25 in its
entirety deals with Ketura.
[2]
Yitzchak's love for Rivka similarly develops in the wake of her similarity to
Sara, his mother: "he brought her" (va-yevi'eha) becomes "he loved her"
(va-ye'ehaveha).
[3]
The Torah's consistent distinction between "the land" (with its boundaries
between the Nile and the Euphrates) and the "land of Canaan" (with its
boundaries from the Jordan up to the Great Sea) is explained well in a detailed
article by Rav Yoel bin-Nun in Megadim 17.
[4]
This, too, I learned from Rabbi bin-Nun.
[5]
As above.
[6]
This has no political relevance at present, since the author of this article is
most doubtful as to whether any direct ethnic connection exists between Yishmael
and the inhabitants of the lands in question, but in any case this topic lies
outside the scope of the present discussion.