AND IT CAME TO PASS WHEN THE ARK SET FORWARD…. R. Eleazar said: ‘What is the meaning of the inverted letter Nun introduced here twice?1In the Massoretic text there are inserted here two isolated Nuns, turned upside down and sideways, one preceding and the other following the two verses beginning with our text.
We explain it thus. We read a little before: “And the ark of the covenant of the Lord went before them three days’ journey, to seek a resting-place for them,’. Now, as soon as the ark set off the Nun1i.e. the Shekinah symbolized by this letter. accompanied it, with its face turned towards Israel. The Shekinah ever hovered over the ark, but the love of the Holy One, blessed be He, towards Israel was such that even though they strayed from the straight path He would not forsake them, but always turned His countenance towards them, for otherwise they could not endure in the world.
So that whilst “the ark… went before them three days’ journey”, the Nun (symbol of the Shekinah) remained inseparable from it, and accompanied it, yet turned her face away from the ark and towards Israel, like a young hart that, whilst going, turns its face towards its starting-point.
Thus when Moses said, “Rise, O Lord…”, implying “do not forsake us, turn Thy face towards us”, the Nun turned round facing Israel in the manner of one turning his face towards his beloved friend. “And when it rested” the Nun turned its face again towards the ark.’
Said R. Simeon: ‘O Eleazar, assuredly it is as you said, saving that when the ark rested the Shekinah did not turn her countenance away from Israel. This is clearly shown by the second Nun, which is also of an inverted shape.
The truth is that when Moses said “Return, O Lord”, and the ark rested, the Shekinah turned back and stood on the other side of the ark,1i.e. instead of between the ark and Israel, as during the journey. but her countenance turned both towards Israel and towards the ark. Israel, however, caused afterwards the turning away of the Shekinah from them. So we read: And the people were as murmurers (K’mithonnim).1A play upon the Hebrew word, which contains two Nuns of ordinary shape, their faces, as it were, being away from Israel.
Said R. Eleazar: ‘What I said I found in the Book of R. Yeba the Elder.’ R. Simeon replied: ‘What he said is rightly said, but you will find my exposition in the book of R. Hamnuna the Elder, and this is assuredly the right exposition.’
(במדבר י׳:ל״ה) וַיְהִי בִּנְסוֹעַ הָאָרוֹן וַיֹּאמֶר מֹשֶׁה וְגוֹ'. רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר אָמַר, הָכָא אִית לְאִסְתַּכְּלָא, נ' דְּאִיהִי (ס"א מנוזרא) מְחַזְרָא לַאֲחוֹרָא הָכָא בִּתְרֵי דּוּכְתֵּי, אֲמַאי. וְאִי תֵּימָא נ' כְּפוּפָה, הָא יְדִיעָה נ' כְּפוּפָה נוּקְבָּא. נ' פְּשׁוּטָה, כְּלָלָא דִּדְכַר וְנוּקְבָּא. וְהָא אוֹקִימְנָא בַּאֲתָר דָּא, וַיְהִי בִּנְסוֹעַ הָאָרוֹן. אֲמַאי אִתְהַדָּר לְבָתַר כְּגַוְונָא דָּא.
AND IT CAME TO PASS WHEN THE ARK SET FORWARD…. R. Eleazar said: ‘What is the meaning of the inverted letter Nun introduced here twice?1In the Massoretic text there are inserted here two isolated Nuns, turned upside down and sideways, one preceding and the other following the two verses beginning with our text.
תָּא חֲזֵי, נ בְּאַשְׁרֵי יוֹשְבֵי בֵיתֶךָ לָא אִתְּמַר, בְּגִין דְּהִיא בְּגָלוּתָא. וְהָא אוּקְמוּהָ חַבְרַיָּיא דִּכְתִּיב, (עמוס ה׳:ב׳) נָפְלָה לֹא תוֹסִיף קוּם בְּתוּלַת יִשְׂרָאֵל וְגוֹ'. אֶלָּא מַה כְּתִיב לְעֵילָּא, וַאֲרוֹן בְּרִית יְיָ נוֹסֵעַ לִפְנֵיהֶם דֶּרֶךְ שְׁלֹשֶׁת יָמִים לָתוּר לָהֶם מְנוּחָה. כֵּיוָן דְּהֲוָה נָטִיל אֲרוֹנָא, נוּ"ן נָטִיל עָלֵיהּ (נ"א עמיה), וְהָא שְׁכִינְתָּא עַל גַּבֵּי אֲרוֹנָא יְתִיב. תָּא חֲזֵי, חֲבִיבוּתָא דְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְגַבַּיְיהוּ דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, דְּהָא אַף עַל גַּב דְּאִינּוּן סָטָאן מֵאֹרַח מֵישָׁר, קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לָא בָּעֵי לְשַׁבְקָא לוֹן, וּבְכָל זִמְנָא אַהְדָּר אַנְפּוֹי לָקֳבְלַיְיהוּ, דְּאִי לָאו הָכִי לָא יְקוּמוּן בְּעָלְמָא.
We explain it thus. We read a little before: “And the ark of the covenant of the Lord went before them three days’ journey, to seek a resting-place for them,’. Now, as soon as the ark set off the Nun1i.e. the Shekinah symbolized by this letter. accompanied it, with its face turned towards Israel. The Shekinah ever hovered over the ark, but the love of the Holy One, blessed be He, towards Israel was such that even though they strayed from the straight path He would not forsake them, but always turned His countenance towards them, for otherwise they could not endure in the world.
תָּא חֲזֵי, אֲרוֹנָא הֲוָה נָטַל קַמַּיְיהוּ אֹרֵחַ תְּלָתָא יוֹמִין, נ לָא הֲוָה מִתְפְּרַשׁ מִנֵּיהּ, וְנָטִיל עִמֵּיהּ. וּמִגּוֹ רְחִימוּ דִּלְהוֹן דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, אַהְדָּר אַנְפּוֹי וְאִסְתְּחַר מִלְּגַבֵּי אֲרוֹנָא, כְּהַאי אַיָּילָא דְּעָזַלְתָּא, כַּד אִיהוּ אָזִיל, אַהְדָּר אַפּוֹי לַאֲתָר דְּנָפִיק. וְעַל דָּא בִּנְסוֹעַ הָאָרוֹן, נוּ"ן אַסְחַר אַנְפִּין לָקֳבְלַיְיהוּ דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, וְכַתְפֵי גּוּפָא לְגַבֵּי אֲרוֹנָא.
So that whilst “the ark… went before them three days’ journey”, the Nun (symbol of the Shekinah) remained inseparable from it, and accompanied it, yet turned her face away from the ark and towards Israel, like a young hart that, whilst going, turns its face towards its starting-point.
וְעַל דָּא כַּד אֲרוֹנָא הֲוָה נָטִיל, מֹשֶׁה אָמַר קוּמָה יְיָ, לָא תִּשְׁבּוֹק לוֹן, אַהְדָּר אַנְפָּךְ לְגַבָּן, כְּדֵין נוּ"ן אִתְהַדָּר לְגַבַּיְיהוּ כְּגַוְונָא דָּא כְּמַאן דִּמְהַדָּר אַנְפֵּיה לְמַאן דְּרָחִים, וְכַד הֲוָה שָׁארֵי אֲרוֹנָא (וישראל) לְמִשְׁרֵי, כְּדֵין אַהְדָּר נוּן אַנְפּוֹי מִיִשְׂרָאֵל, וְאִתְהַדָּר לְגַבֵּי אֲרוֹנָא, וּבְכֹלָּא אִתְהַדָּר.
Thus when Moses said, “Rise, O Lord…”, implying “do not forsake us, turn Thy face towards us”, the Nun turned round facing Israel in the manner of one turning his face towards his beloved friend. “And when it rested” the Nun turned its face again towards the ark.’
אָמַר רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, אֶלְעָזָר, בְּודַּאי הָכִי הוּא, אֲבָל הָכָא לָא אַהְדָּר אַנְפּוֹי מִיִשְׂרָאֵל, דְּאִי הָכִי בָּעֵי נוּן לְאִתְהַפְּכָא מִגַּוְונָא דְּאַחֲרָא עִלָּאָה (ס"א דלעילא), הַאי מְנוּזָר לַאֲחוֹרָא וְהַאי בְּאוֹרַח מֵישָׁר לְגַבֵּי אֲרוֹנָא.
Said R. Simeon: ‘O Eleazar, assuredly it is as you said, saving that when the ark rested the Shekinah did not turn her countenance away from Israel. This is clearly shown by the second Nun, which is also of an inverted shape.
אֶלָּא ודַּאי לָא אַהְדָּר אַנְפּוֹי מִנַּיְיהוּ, וּמָה עֲבִיד בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּשָׁארִי אֲרוֹנָא לְמִשְׁרֵי. אָמַר מֹשֶׁה שׁוּבָה יְיָ, כְּדֵין שָׁארֵי אֲרוֹנָא, וּשְׁכִינְתָּא קָאִים בְּסִטְרָא אַחֲרָא, וְאַנְפִּין לָקֳבְלַיְיהוּ דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, וְלָקֳבְלֵיהּ דַּאֲרוֹנָא. (ובגין כך) וּכְדֵין כֹּלָּא כָּלִיל (לגווה) לְכַוְּונָא, לַאֲרוֹנָא, וּלְיִשְׂרָאֵל. אֶלָּא דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל גָּרְמוּ לְבָתַר, דִּכְתִּיב וַיְהִי הָעָם כְּמִתְאוֹנְנִים.
The truth is that when Moses said “Return, O Lord”, and the ark rested, the Shekinah turned back and stood on the other side of the ark,1i.e. instead of between the ark and Israel, as during the journey. but her countenance turned both towards Israel and towards the ark. Israel, however, caused afterwards the turning away of the Shekinah from them. So we read: And the people were as murmurers (K’mithonnim).1A play upon the Hebrew word, which contains two Nuns of ordinary shape, their faces, as it were, being away from Israel.
אָמַר רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר, אֲנָא דְּאַמָרָן מִסִּפְרָא דְּרַב יֵיבָא סָבָא, דְּאָמַר דְּבֵין בְּהַאי גִּיסָא, וּבֵין בְּהַאי גִּיסָא, אִתְהַדָּר. אָמַר לֵיהּ, שַׁפִּיר קָאָמַר, אֲבָל דָּא דַּאֲמֵינָא, הָכִי תִּשְׁכַּח בְּסִפְרָא דְּרַב הַמְנוּנָא סָבָא, וְהָכִי הוּא וַדַּאי.
Said R. Eleazar: ‘What I said I found in the Book of R. Yeba the Elder.’ R. Simeon replied: ‘What he said is rightly said, but you will find my exposition in the book of R. Hamnuna the Elder, and this is assuredly the right exposition.’