"Then again Abraham took a wife"

Synopsis

Here we learn that Kturah, Abraham's wife, was really Hagar, who had atoned for her transgressions and had taken a new name reflecting this atonement. The rest of the discussion focuses on the meaning of Abraham's bequest to Isaac of "all that he had." We're told that the two patriarchs should be included one within the other, since they represent the Right and Left Columns in the secret of supernal faith, which is Binah.

Relevance

Man is endowed with three unique forces of intelligence - the Desire to Receive, the Desire to Share, and the free will to choose and manage between the two. Desire to Share is termed 'Right Column' by the Zohar. Abraham is the embodiment of Right Column and its particular sharing intelligence. Desire to Receive is termed 'Left Column,' and 'Isaac' is the vessel that expresses its energy of receiving. The absence of either Column creates an extreme imbalance. Thus, sharing without receiving quickly depletes our resources. If we pour water from a glass to share with others without replenishment, the glass will soon be empty. And receiving without sharing is like casting a dehydrated man into the middle of the sea. Though he is in desperate need of water, the overabundance eventually drowns him. Reading this section has a stabilizing effect on our spirituality and on the decisions we make. Intuitively, our choices begin to strike a delicate balance between knowing when to share and when to receive.

Abraham Atonement Deeds Hagar Idolatry Keturah Sin

257. "Then again Abraham took a wife, and her name was Kturah" (Beresheet 25:1). Kturah is Hagar, for we learned that after Hagar separated from Abraham and whored after her father's idols, she repented and was associated with good deeds. For that reason, her name was changed to Kturah, which alludes to her good deeds, FOR KTURAH MEANS CONNECTED. Then Abraham sent and took her for a wife. From this, it is understood that changing a name atones for transgressions, because her name was changed TO KTURAH AFTER SHE ATONED FOR HER SINS.

257. וַיּוֹסֶף אַבְרָהָם וַיִּקַּח אִשָּׁה וּשְׁמָהּ קְטוּרָה. קְטוּרָה דָא הִיא הָגָר. דְּהָא תָּנִינָן, בָּתַר דְּאִתְפְּרָשָׁא הָגָר מִנֵּיהּ דְּאַבְרָהָם, וְטָעַת בָּתַר גִּלּוּלֵי דַּאֲבוּהָ, 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.

Abraham Deeds Evil Hagar Isaac Ishmael Keturah

258. וַיּוֹסֶף אַבְרָהָם, מַאי וַיּוֹסֶף, אִי תֵימָא דְּעַל שָׂרָה אִיהוּ דְּאוֹסִיף, לָאו הָכֵי. אֶלָּא בְּיוֹמָהָא דְשָׂרָה, אִזְדַּוַּוג בַּהֲדָהּ זִמְנָא חָדָא, וּלְבָתַר תָּרִיךְ לָהּ, עַל עִסְקֵי דְיִשְׁמָעֵאל, וּלְבָתַר וַיּוֹסֶף כְּמִלְקַדְמִין, זִמְנָא אָחֳרָא, עַל מַה דְּנָסִיב לָהּ בְּקַדְמֵיתָא. וּכְפוּם דְשָׁנֵי עוֹבָדָהָא, הָכֵי נָמֵי שָׁנֵי שְׁמָהּ.

Abraham House Isaac Marriage Rebecca Tents Women

259. תָּא חֲזֵי, דְּאָמַר רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר, וַיְבִיאֶהָ יִצְחָק הָאֹהֱלָה שָׂרָה אִמּוֹ. דְּאִתְגַּלְיָא דְּיוֹקְנָא דְשָׂרָה, וְיִצְחָק אִתְנֶחָם, אַחֲרֵי דְּאִתְגַּלְיָא אִמּוֹ, וּדְיוֹקְנָהָא הֲוָה חָמֵי כָּל יוֹמָא. וְאַבְרָהָם אַף עַל גָּב דְּאִינְסִיב, לָא עָאל בְּהַהוּא בֵּיתָא, וְלָא אָעֵיל לָהּ לְהַאי אִתְּתָא תַּמָּן, בְּגִין דְּשִׁפְחָה לֹא תִירַשׁ גְּבִרְתָּה. וּבְאֹהֶל דְּשָׂרָה, לָא אִתְחֲזֵי אִתְּתָא אָחֳרָא, אֶלָּא רִבְקָה.

Abraham Isaac Tents

260. וְאַבְרָהָם אַף עַל גַּב דַּהֲוָה יָדַע דִּדְיוֹקְנָא דְשָׂרָה אִתְגַלְּיָיא תַּמָּן, שַׁבְקֵיהּ לְיִצְחָק הַהוּא אֹהֶל, לְמֶחֱמֵי דְּיוֹקְנָא דְאִמֵּיהּ כָּל יוֹמָא. יִצְחָק, וְלָא אַבְרָהָם, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב וַיִּתֵּן אַבְרָהָם אֶת כָּל אֲשֶׁר לוֹ לְיִצְחָק. אֶת כָּל אֲשֶׁר לוֹ דַיְיקָא, דָּא הַהוּא דְּיוֹקְנָא דְשָׂרָה בְּהַהוּא מַשְׁכְּנָא.

Abraham Faith Fire Grades Isaac Judgment Sacrifice Water

261. Another explanation of the verse, "And Abraham gave all that he had to Isaac," IS THAT HE GAVE HIM the secret of the supernal faith, WHICH IS BINAH, so that Isaac would be attached to his appropriate grade. IF HE HAD NOT GIVEN HIM THE SECRET OF BINAH, HE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO CLEAVE TO THE LEFT COLUMN. Come and behold, Fire, WHICH IS LEFT, is here included within water, WHICH IS RIGHT. Assuredly fire took water, AS LEFT INCLUDED RIGHT WITHIN IT. This is understood from the verse, "And Abraham gave all that he had to Isaac." This is water included within fire, AS ABRAHAM, WHO IS THE SECRET OF WATER, GAVE HIS ASPECT TO ISAAC, THE SECRET OF FIRE. At first, fire was included within water. When was that? When Abraham bound Isaac to execute judgement upon him, NAMELY TO SACRIFICE HIM. Then, fire was included within water. Now, water is included within fire, so that all will be in the secret of the supernal faith, WHICH IS BINAH. FOR THE TWO COLUMNS - RIGHT AND LEFT - IN BINAH WERE INCLUDED WITHIN EACH OTHER, THEN THEY REACHED PERFECTION. THEREFORE, BOTH ABRAHAM AND ISAAC, WHO ARE DRAWN FROM THE TWO COLUMNS IN BINAH, SHOULD ALSO BE INCLUDED WITHIN ONE ANOTHER. FIRST, THE LEFT WAS INCLUDED WITHIN THE RIGHT AT THE TIME OF SACRIFICE. AND NOW, WHEN ABRAHAM GAVE ALL HE HAD TO ISAAC, THE RIGHT WAS INCLUDED WITHIN THE LEFT.

261. דָּבָר אַחֵר, וַיִתֵּן אַבְרָהָם אֶת כָּל אֲשֶׁר לוֹ לְיִצְחָק, רָזָא דִמְהֵימְנוּתָא עִלָּאָה, לְאִתְדַּבְּקָא, יִצְחָק בְּדַרְגָּא דְחוּלָקֵיהּ כִּדְקָא יָאוֹת. תָּא חֲזֵי, הָכָא אִתְכְּלֵיל אֶשָׁא בְּמַיָא וַדַּאי, אֶשָׁא נָטֵיל מַיָא, מַשְׁמַע וַיִּתֵּן אַבְרָהָם אֶת כָּל אֲשֶׁר לוֹ לְיִצְחָק, דָּא מַיָא דְּאִתְכְּלֵיל בְּאֶשָׁא, וּבְקַדְמֵיתָא, אִתְכְּלֵיל כַּחֲדָא אֶשָׁא בְּמַיָא. אֵימָתַי, בְּשַׁעְתָּא דְּעָקַד לֵיהּ לְיִצְחָק, לְמֶעְבַּד בֵּיהּ דִּינָא, כְּדֵין אִתְכְּלֵיל אֶשָׁא בְּמַיָא. וְהַשְׁתָּא אִתְכְּלִילוּ מַיָא בְּאֶשָׁא, לְמֶהֱוֵי כֹּלָּא רָזָא דִּמְהֵימְנוּתָא עִלָּאָה.