EXTRA · classical (not a TT unit)

Chayei Sarah 25:2 · EXTRA

Parashas Chayei Sarah · Passuk 25:2

The Complete Passuk

וַתֵּ֣לֶד ל֗וֹ אֶת־זִמְרָן֙ וְאֶת־יׇקְשָׁ֔ן וְאֶת־מְדָ֖ן וְאֶת־מִדְיָ֑ן וְאֶת־יִשְׁבָּ֖ק וְאֶת־שֽׁוּחַ׃

She bore him Zimran, Yokshan, Medan, Midyan, Yishbak, and Shuach.

Chabad / Judaica Press

Source Citation

Bereshit Rabbah 61:5 (classical source on this passuk; not listed as a numbered Torah Temimah unit here).

Lemma / focus: זמרן ויקשן.

Sefaria

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text
רָמֵי בַּר יְחֶזְקֵל אָמַר זִמְרָן שֶׁהָיוּ מְזַמְּרִין בָּעוֹלָם, יָקְשָׁן, שֶׁהֵן מִתְקַשִּׁין בָּעוֹלָם. וְרַבָּנָן אָמְרֵי, זִמְרָן, שֶׁהָיוּ מְזַמְּרִין לַעֲבוֹדַת כּוֹכָבִים, יָקְשָׁן, שֶׁהָיוּ מַקִּשִּׁין בַּתֹּף לַעֲבוֹדַת כּוֹכָבִים. (בראשית כה, ג): וְיָקְשָׁן יָלַד אֶת שְׁבָא וְאֶת דְּדָן, רַבִּי שְׁמוּאֵל בַּר נַחְמָן אָמַר אַף עַל גַּב דְּאִינוּן מְתוּרְגָּמִין אָמְרִין תַּגָּרֵי לוּפָּרִין וְרָאשֵׁי אֻמִּין, כּוּלְּהוֹן רָאשֵׁי אֻמּוֹת הֵן.

English: Zimran — for they made music in the world; Yokshan — for they became hard in the world. And the Rabbis say: Zimran — for they made music to idolatry; Yokshan — for they beat the drum for idolatry.

On the daf / in context: The names of Keturah’s sons are read as allusions to their later conduct; the midrash offers both a neutral and a critical etymology.

Type of Learning

Derash on the verse (midrash on names) — not a formal named middah of the 13: the names are treated as signals of character or practice.

What Is Learned

The names of the sons of Keturah are read as pointers to their ways: music and hardness, or, according to the Rabbis, music and drumming for idolatry.