The Zohar · Chayei Sara
זוהר, חיי שרה כ״הZohar, Chayei Sara 25
Section 25 of 27 in Chayei Sara — 5 segments
Segment 1א׳
וַיּוֹסֶף אַבְרָהָם וַיִּקַּח אִשָּׁה וּשְׁמָהּ קְטוּרָה. קְטוּרָה דָא הִיא הָגָר. דְּהָא תָּנִינָן בָּתַר דְּאִתְפְּרָשָׁא הָגָר מִנֵּיהּ דְּאַבְרָהָם וְטָעַת בָּתַר גִּלּוּלֵי דְּאֲבוּהָ, 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.
AND ABRAHAM TOOK ANOTHER WIFE, AND HER NAME WAS KETURAH. Keturah was none other than Hagar. For we know by tradition that though Hagar when she left Abraham went astray after the idols of her ancestors, yet in time she again attached herself to a life of virtue. Hence her name Keturah (lit. attached). Abraham then sent for her and took her to wife. From here we learn that a change of name acts as an atonement for sin, since that was the reason why her name was changed.
Segment 2ב׳
וַיּוֹסֶף אַבְרָהָם, מַאי וַיּוֹסֶף, אִי תֵימָא דְּעַל שָׂרָה אִיהוּ דְּאוֹסִיף, לָאו הָכִי. אֶלָּא בְּיוֹמָהָא דְשָׂרָה אִזְדַּוַּוג בַּהֲדָהּ זִמְנָא חָדָא, וּלְבָתַר תָּרִיךְ לָהּ עַל עִסְקֵי דְיִשְׁמָעֵאל, וּלְבָתַר וַיּוֹסֶף כְּמִלְקַדְמִין זִמְנָא אָחֳרָא עַל מַה דְּנָסִיב לָהּ בְּקַדְמִיתָא. וּכְפוּם דְשָׁנֵי עוֹבָדָהָא הָכִי נָמֵי שָׁנֵי שְׁמָהּ.
The term vayoseph (lit. and he added) here indicates not that Abraham took another wife, but that he took again his former spouse whom he had driven out on account of Ishmael, and who had now abandoned her evil practices, and had made a change in her name symbolical of her change of life.
Segment 3ג׳
תָּא חֲזֵי, דְּאָמַר רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר וַיְבִיאֶהָ יִצְחָק הָאֹהלָה שָׂרָה אִמּוֹ. דְּאִתְגַּלְיָא דִּיוּקְנָא דְשָׂרָה וְיִצְחָק אִתְנְחָם אַחֲרֵי דְּאִתְגַּלְיָא אִמּוֹ, וְדִיוּקְנָהָא הֲוָה חָמֵי כָּל יוֹמָא. וְאַבְרָהָם אַף עַל גַּב דְּאִינְסִיב לָא עָאל בְּהַהוּא בֵּיתָא וְלָא אָעִיל לָהּ לְהַאי אִתְּתָא תַּמָּן, בְּגִין דְּשִׁפְחָה לֹא תִירַשׁ גְּבִירְתָּה. וּבְאֹהֶל דְּשָׂרָה לָא אִתְחֲזֵי אִתְּתָא אָחֳרָא אֶלָּא רִבְקָה.
Observe that R. Eleazar, in comment on the passage, “And Isaac brought her into the tent-Sarah his mother”, said that the form of Sarah was there revealed, and Isaac was comforted by virtue of this, as he looked at her image every day. But Abraham, although he married again, never entered Sarah’s tent nor allowed that woman to enter there, for a handmaid may not be heir to her mistress. No other woman, in fact, ever appeared in Sarah’s tent save Rebekah.
Zohar — Vocalized Zohar, Israel 2013, via Sefaria
English: The Zohar — Soncino Press, London 1933 (public domain)