Shabbat Gathering: Abraham's second wife.

Gud Shabbos Khaveyrim, as is our custom, we will gather tonight at 5.45p ct to welcome Shabbat. These are the coordinates:

Zoom
Meeting ID: 883 8469 4181
Password: 822665
Phone: +1 312 626 6799

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Here we go.

This week’s Torah portion is Chayei Sarah (Gen. 23:1-25:18) and in that portion we come on a cryptic reference to Abraham’s second wife, Keturah, or at least we think it’s Abraham’s second wife as there is speculation she may have been merely a concubine. Not that there’s much difference.

Working from midrash, Rashi concludes that Keturah was actually, Hagar, the servant Sarah gave to Abraham.

Hagar, as we recall, bore Abraham a first son, Ishmael, and, at Sarah’s urging, Abraham expelled Hagar and Ishmael from his camp and cast them out to the desert to die. Hagar prayed to Hashem and Hashem answered her prayers directly and saved Hagar and Ishmael. The next we hear from them is when Abraham dies and Torah tells us that both Isaac and Ishmael bury Abraham. Questions arise.

How did Ishmael know that Abraham had died? Were Isaac and Ishmael in touch with each other? Did Abraham remain in touch with Ishmael? We don’t know and there’s surprisingly little the rabbis through the ages have to say about it.

Keturah bore Abraham six sons: Zimran and Yokshan, Medan and Midian, Yishbak and Shuah. Midian becomes the forefather of the Midianite people. The name Keturah shares the same root as the word for fine incense and is believed to mean that Hagar had remained chaste following the birth of Ishmael.

For me, I like to think that Abraham and Hagar were reunited after so much time and that she finished her days as Abraham’s honored wife. Perhaps that made up for the brutality of him casting her into the desert. Maybe not, but to borrow a line from Hemingway, isn’t it pretty to think so.

And may it be for all of us a blessing.

See you tonight!
Mit vareme grusn,
(With warm regards,)

All my love,
brian.

PS

Saturday, November 14 – Community Havdalah
At the First Unitarian Society (Courtyard AB), 5:30-7:00 p.m.
Join us for a potluck dinner followed by a campfire and singing. Aviv and Rabbi Laurie will lead Havdalah and provide the s’mores. Please bring a vegetarian dish to share. You can register here.

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