Tehilim Perek 119: Letter NUN

Hello everybody, I’m Rabbi Shaya Sussman, covering the entire TANACH one perek at a time. In today’s Nach Daily we’ll be discussing perek 119, letter NUN.

The letter Nun represents Ne’emanut, loyalty, Namichut ruach, humility, Neshama, the soul, and Netzach, eternity.

The Medrash Osyios D’Rebbe Akiva explains that the Neshama was created with the letter Nun. Without the soul the body would be as inanimate as the dirt on the ground, unable to stand erect or move in any way.

The Medrash continues that this is represented by the two Nuns. The regular Nun is laying, while the Nun Sofit is standing. In the simple sense, the Medrash is speaking about the Neshama as it relates to its clothing, the body. However, in the deeper sense this means that when a person does mitzvos the Neshama is uplifted. When a person sins, however, the Neshama goes downwards as if it’s sleeping.

A Neshama by nature is completely pure, trustworthy, loyal and filled with sublime humility before God, but our physical desires are constantly preventing it from revealing its true identity. This is all represented by the letter Nun, as the soul is constantly expressing its dedication to Hashem.

The shape of a Nun is like a person sitting with their legs in front and the head tilted forward. This points towards the Neshama, which humbly subjugates itself to Hashem.

It should be noted that when a person is constantly like the Nun Kafuf, humbly sitting in front of God, in the end he will be like the Nun Pashuta, straightened out for Olam Habah.

Numerically, the Nun is 50. Fifty represents the “Chamishim Sha’arei Bina, 50 Gates of Understanding, the 50 gates of Kedusha, Holiness, and the 50 days to receiving the Torah. The only way to reach the highest level is though aNava, humility. Therefore, it was specifically Moshe who attained the fiftieth level which allowed him to receive the Torah because he was aNav mikol adom, the most humble man on earth. This is all represented by the letter Nun which is numerically fifty and corresponds to humility, loyalty, and subjugation.

The Nun is also a feminine letter as Nekieva, which starts with a Nun, means female. Women have an easier time humbling themselves to Hashem because they are more naturally connected, dedicated and loyal. This is why women make the bracha in the morning “asani kirtzono, Hashem created me according to His will. Generally speaking, women feel more connected to Hashem because they were created in tandem with God’s Ratzon, will.

Nun is also the letter for Nefila, falling. In life we tend to fall, but we always trust that “yerida tachlis ha’aliya, every descent is really an ascent.” Every fall is really Hashem drawing you closer to Him.

In this context it can be understood that every Nefilah, falling is really for the good. It’s specifically from that place of Nefilah that you can accrue credit for Netzach, eternity.

May we merit constantly humbling ourselves in front of Hashem, remembering that we are Nothing, which starts with a Nun, in the eyes of the Creator.

Stay tuned for our next episode in which we’ll be moving on to the letter Samech.

Thank you for listening, and have a wonderful day.