The Sweetness of Keturah

Parashat Chayei Sarah (Gen. 23:1–25:18) records the death and burial of Sarah, but this Torah portion is also about the greatness the women surrounding Avraham bring into the world—Sarah, Rebecca, and Keturah. The latter is a somewhat mysterious figure:

“Abraham took another wife, whose name was Keturah.”
— Genesis 25:1

According to rabbinic tradition (Genesis Rabbah 61:4, cited by Rashi), Keturah is Hagar, the former hand maiden of Sarah. The sages teach that she was called Keturah because “her deeds were as beautiful as incense (ketoret).”

If Torah gives Hagar a new name derived from the sacred incense, then the ketoret becomes the key to understanding the role she played in Avraham’s final years. The Book of Proverbs links incense not with ritual alone, but with the deep joy of friendship:

“Oil and incense bring joy to the heart,
and the sweetness of

a friend is counsel to the soul.”
— Proverbs 27:9

Her name carries the promise that she would bring joy to Avraham in his old age. Where Hagar once departed in bitterness, she returns as Keturah—sweet as incense, bringing peace rather than rivalry.

One of the most dramatic scenes in Torah involving incense appears in the aftermath of Korach’s rebellion (Numbers 17:11–13,], when a deadly plague spreads rapidly among the people. Moses commands Aaron to place the qetoret (incense) in a fire pan and run through the camp of Israel:

“Take your censer, put incense in it… and run to the assembly… for wrath has gone out from the LORD.”

Aaron does so and the plague is halted

The Talmud (Shabbat 89a) adds a mystical detail:
 When Moses ascended Sinai, the Angel of Death taught him that incense stops plagues.

Rabbinic tradition notes another reason for Hagar’s new name:
Keturah also echoes “keter”—to bind or tie, telling us she remained faithful to Avraham and never remarried during their years apart.

Another aspect that connects Keturah to the qetoret is found in Exodus 30:34–38 which records the formula for the sacred incense:

“Take fragrant spices—gum resin, onycha and galbanum—and pure frankincense”

The aforementioned galbanum is a spice with a distinctly foul odor when isolated.

The sages (Keritot 6b) teach that the incense is incomplete without the foul-smelling galbanum. In fact, the latter enhances the sweetness of the quetoret.

In her earlier years, Keturah, as Hagar, gave into rivalry and pride which led to exile. She was the “galbanum” of Avraham’s household—necessary, yet abrasive. When she returned as Keturah, the very experiences that once made her “foul-smelling” became what made her beautiful.

The Psalmist writes: “May my prayer be set before you like incense.”
— Psalm 141:2

Incense is prayer that rises straight, steady, acceptable to God. Keturah’s deeds became like incense—no longer reactive or wounded, but directed heavenward. Her life became its own offering.

Genesis 25:5–6 describes Avraham’s delicate task: giving Isaac everything, but giving gifts to Keturah’s sons and sending them east. The sages say these eastern sons became the roots of certain Eastern wisdom traditions. Even there, Avraham’s influence—amplified by Keturah—spread knowledge of the One God into regions far beyond Canaan.

If the Torah gives Hagar a new name derived from the sacred incense, it is because her transformation was real and the role she played in Avraham’s final years became fragrant, elevating, and life-giving. Through her teshuva, Keturah surely aided Avraham in fulfilling his ultimate destiny—to become the Father of a multitude of nations.