BUT UNTO THE SONS OF THE CONCUBINES THAT ABRAHAM HAD ABRAHAM GAVE GIFTS What sort of gifts were they? They comprised the sides of the low grades, that is to say, the names of the powers of the unclean spirit, so as to complete the whole list of grades. (Isaac was raised above those grades by the power of the true faith.)
“The sons of the concubines” are the sons of Keturah, who had formerly been a concubine and was now once more a concubine.’ R. Hiya said that the term “concubines” here in the plural must be taken literally. AND HE SENT THEM AWAY FROM ISAAC HIS SON , so that they should not be on a par with Isaac. WHILE HE YET LIVED , that is, while Abraham was yet alive and vigorous, so that they should not complain against him after his death, and so that Isaac might strengthen himself in the side of rigour so as to prevail over them all and make them all submit to him. EASTWARD, UNTO THE EAST COUNTRY : for the reason that there are the haunts of the impure practitioners of magic and witchcraft.
Observe this. It is written: “And Solomon’s wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the East” (I Kings 5, 10). Herein is an allusion to the descendants of the very children of Abraham’s concubines, who, as already said, inhabit the mountains of the East, where they instruct the sons of men in the arts of magic and divination. It was this very land of the East from which came Laban and Beor and his son Balaam, who were all magicians.’
וְלִבְנֵי הַפִּילַגְשִׁים אֲשֶׁר לְאַבְרָהָם נָתַן אַבְרָהָם מַתָּנוֹת. מַאי מַתָּנוֹת. אִלֵּין סִטְרֵי דַרְגִּין תַּתָּאִין דְּאִינוּן שְׁמָהָן דְּסִטְרֵי רוּחַ מְסָאֲבָא בְּגִין לְאַשְׁלָמָא דַּרְגִּין, וְאִסְתַּלַּק יִצְחָק עַל כֹּלָּא בִּמְהֵימְנוּתָא עִלָּאָה כְּדְקָא חָזֵי.
BUT UNTO THE SONS OF THE CONCUBINES THAT ABRAHAM HAD ABRAHAM GAVE GIFTS What sort of gifts were they? They comprised the sides of the low grades, that is to say, the names of the powers of the unclean spirit, so as to complete the whole list of grades. (Isaac was raised above those grades by the power of the true faith.)
בְּנֵי הַפִּילַגְשִׁים, אִלֵּין הֲווּ בְּנֵי קְטוּרָה פִּלֶּגֶשׁ בְּקַדְמִיתָא וּפִלֶּגֶשׁ הַשְׁתָּא. רַבִּי חִיָּיא אָמַר פִּלַגְשִׁים מַמָּשׁ. וַיְשַׁלְּחֵם מֵעַל יִצְחָק בְנוֹ, דְּלָא לְשַׁלְּטָאָה לְגַבֵּיהּ דְּיִצְחָק. בְּעוֹדֶנוּ חַי, בְּעוֹד דְּהֲוָה אַבְרָהָם חַי וְקַיָּים בְּעַלְמָא דְּלָא יְקַטְרְגוּן לֵיהּ לְבָתַר, וּבְגִין דְּיִתְתַּקַּן יִצְחָק בִּסְטַר דִּינָא קַשְׁיָא עִלָּאָה לְאִתְתַּקְּפָא עַל כֻּלְּהוּ, וְכֻלְּהוּ אִתְכַּפְיָין קַמֵּיהּ. קֵדְמָה אֶל אֶרֶץ קֶדֶם, בְּגִין דְּתַמָּן אִינוּן סִטְרֵי חֳרָשֵׁי מְסָאֲבֵי.
“The sons of the concubines” are the sons of Keturah, who had formerly been a concubine and was now once more a concubine.’ R. Hiya said that the term “concubines” here in the plural must be taken literally. AND HE SENT THEM AWAY FROM ISAAC HIS SON , so that they should not be on a par with Isaac. WHILE HE YET LIVED , that is, while Abraham was yet alive and vigorous, so that they should not complain against him after his death, and so that Isaac might strengthen himself in the side of rigour so as to prevail over them all and make them all submit to him. EASTWARD, UNTO THE EAST COUNTRY : for the reason that there are the haunts of the impure practitioners of magic and witchcraft.
תָּא חֲזֵי, כְּתִיב (מלכים א ה׳:י׳) וַתֵּרֶב חָכְמָת שְׁלֹמֹה מֵחָכְמַת כָּל בְּנֵי קֶדֶם. אִלֵּין אִינוּן דְּהֲווּ מִבְּנֵי (אינון) בְּנֵי פִּילַגְשִׁים דְּאַבְרָהָם, וְהָא אוֹקִימְנָא דְּהָא בְּאִינוּן הַרְרֵי קֶדֶם אִינוּן דְּאוֹלְפִין חֳרָשִׁין לִבְנֵי נָשָׁא, וּמֵהַהִיא אֶרֶץ קֶדֶם נָפְקוּ לָבָן וּבְעוֹר וּבִלְעָם בְּנוֹ וְכֻלְּהוּ חֳרָשֵׁי וְהָא אוּקְמוּהָ.
Observe this. It is written: “And Solomon’s wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the East” (I Kings 5, 10). Herein is an allusion to the descendants of the very children of Abraham’s concubines, who, as already said, inhabit the mountains of the East, where they instruct the sons of men in the arts of magic and divination. It was this very land of the East from which came Laban and Beor and his son Balaam, who were all magicians.’