It’s a poignant moment, and the Torah is silent about Isaac's immediate reaction. But Jewish tradition, ever eager to fill in the gaps, gives us a fascinating glimpse into what might have been.
According to the Legends of the Jews, Rebekah didn't just stumble upon Isaac; she found him "coming from the way of Beer-lahai-roi," that's "the well of the Living One who sees me," a place associated with Hagar. Why was Isaac there? Well, the story suggests something quite surprising: He was trying to reunite his father, Abraham, with Hagar, who is also identified with Keturah in some traditions.
Can you imagine? After all the drama, the expulsion, the near-sacrifice… Isaac, out of compassion, seeks to bring comfort to his widowed father. It’s a very human, very relatable impulse, even if the details are, shall we say, legendary.
Now, about Hagar/Keturah. The story continues that she bore Abraham six sons. But here's where things take a turn. These sons, unfortunately, "did scant honor to their father, for they all were idolaters." Abraham, concerned about their influence on Isaac – worried that they might be "singed by Isaac's flame," a powerful image suggesting Isaac's spiritual purity – decided to send them away.
He instructed them to journey eastward, as far as possible. He even built them a city, a most peculiar city at that! Surrounded by an iron wall so high that the sun couldn’t penetrate it. Talk about social distancing! But Abraham, ever the provider, didn’t leave them in total darkness. He gifted them "huge gems and pearls, their lustre more brilliant than the light of the sun." This, we are told, will even be used "in the Messianic time when 'the moon shall be confounded and the sun ashamed.'" It’s a beautiful image of hidden light, waiting to be revealed.
And there's more. Abraham also taught them "the black art," kochmei hachor, the wisdom of occult practices, wherewith they held sway over demons and spirits. It is from this city in the east that Laban, Balaam, and Balaam's father Beor – figures known for their sorcery – derived their powers.
It's a reminder that even within the lineage of great figures, there can be unexpected twists and turns. The line between light and darkness, between the sacred and the profane, is often more blurred than we might think. And these stories, these aggadot, invite us to explore those ambiguities, to grapple with the complexities of human nature, and to find meaning in the most unexpected of places. What do you think? Does this cast a new light on Abraham and Isaac?