“Avrohom proceeded and took a wife whose name was Keturah.” “And Yitzchok and Yishmael buried Avrohom in the Me’aras Hamachpeilah.”
Avrohom was living with Sarah and their child, Yitzchok, as well as with his maidservant, Hagar, and their child, Yishmael. Sarah wanted Avrohom to throw Hagar and Yishmael out of the house. Hakodosh Boruch Hu told Avrohom that he should listen to Sarah, so he did. Rashi says that “Keturah” was Hagar. Why did Avrohom marry Hagar, and why was Yishmael on the scene when Avrohom died, when he had previously thrown both of them out?
Avrohom did not marry Hagar in order to have a wife but rather, to demonstrate the greatness of Sarah Imeinu – her righteousness. Avrohom and Sarah were zoche to have an exceedingly righteous child, Yitzchok. In whose zechus were they zoche to have the righteous child: Avrohom’s or Sarah’s? Avrohom wanted it to be known that it was in the zechus of Sarah, and not his own zechus. He therefore married Hagar and had children with her. They were inferior children, not important individuals. This proved that it was not Avrohom who had the zechus, but it was the righteous Sarah. (חכמת התורה)
Sarah was exceedingly righteous. She did not have anything personal against Yishmael or Hagar. Rather, her only concern was for the ruchniyos of her son. She saw that their presence would hinder Yitzchok’s growth and was therefore compelled to send them away. Avrohom was truly humble, and he believed that everything he was and accomplished was all because of Sarah. He was concerned that people would say that Sarah was not only lacking in righteousness, but she was thoroughly evil. How could she have thrown Hagar and her child, Yishmael, out of her house with nowhere to go?
Avrohom wanted Yishmael to go with him to the Akeidas Yitzchok, and Yishmael acquiesced. Avrohom thought that he would be shechting Yitzchok at that point, and therefore, he no longer needed to protect him from Yishmael. As it turned out, Avrohom was not to shecht Yitzchok, and they returned home. When Avrohom revealed to Yitzchok that it would be he who would be shechted, Yitzchok did so willingly and joyfully. Avrohom saw the way Yitzchok had acted, and he knew that he no longer had to fear the influence of Yishmael. Obviously, Yitzchok had achieved great heights in ruchniyos, a place where Yishmael would no longer be able to influence him. Sarah Imeinu died at the time of the Akeidah, and afterward, Avrohom married Hagar. Although Hagar had done teshuva, she was not righteous like Sarah, perhaps because she became arrogant from marrying the great Avrohom, and she had inferior children.
We learn from this story a great lesson: the great humility with which Avrohom always acted and how he only thought of others. His concern was about Sarah Imeinu; what would others say about her? He therefore did all in his power to prove beyond a doubt that Sarah acted in the proper manner and was a truly righteous individual. May we be zoche to be humble in all that we do and truly care about the ones around us.
RABBI YAKOV YOSEF SCHECHTER
