Parashat Beha’alotcha-When You Raise-5785-14 June 2025 / 18 Sivan 5785

Mr. Murthy Gaddi
Jun 12
5 min read

Updated: Jun 16

“When You Raise the Light: Growth, Struggle, and Second Chances”

The Mystery of Inverted Hebrew Letters Nuns

The mysterious passage in Numbers 10:35–36, framed by two nunim hafuchim ( נונין הפוכין – inverted Hebrew letter nuns), has captivated the attention of Jewish sages for millennia. The Talmud, Midrash, Zohar, and Chassidic writings all delve into the significance of this passage — not merely as a textual curiosity, but as a gateway to deep spiritual secrets, revealing the structure of the Torah, the power of the Ark, and the hidden redemption within exile.

Let us now explore this profound concept through the writings of the sages:

🧩 I. The Nunim Hafuchim – Inverted Nuns as Hidden Markers

“And it came to pass, when the Ark set forward, that Moshe said: Rise up, HaShem…”(Numbers 10:35–36)

Talmud Shabbat 115b–116a:“Our Rabbis taught: For this section, the Holy One, blessed be He, made signs[nunim hafuchim] above and below to teach that this is not its place.”
Rabbi Yehudah HaNasi (Rabbi):This section is not just out of place — it is its own book, making the Torah into seven books instead of five.
These two verses are surrounded by inverted letters, like parentheses, marking it as a concealed or portable book within the Torah.

📚 II. The Seven Pillars – Torah as Seven Books

“Wisdom has hewn her seven pillars.” – Proverbs 9:1Applied by R. Shmuel bar Nachmani in the name of R. Yonatan to the seven-book structure of the Torah.

Bereishit (Genesis)
Shemot (Exodus)
Vayikra (Leviticus)
Bamidbar 1:1–10:34
Numbers 10:35–36 (Inverted Nun Section)
Numbers 10:37–end
Devarim (Deuteronomy)

Zohar (Terumah 140a):The seven books correspond to seven lower sefirot (Chesed through Malchut), with the inverted nuns representing gates between worlds — a barrier and passageway between spiritual realms.

🔥 III. The Spiritual Power of the Ark’s Movement

“When the Ark set forward, Moshe said: ‘Arise, HaShem, and let Your enemies be scattered…’”

Zohar (Bamidbar 145b):

This declaration activates the energy of the Merkavah (Divine Chariot) — the Ark represents the Shechinah in movement, conquering spiritual darkness and clearing the way.
Rabbi Chaim Vital (Etz Chaim, Sha’ar Kriyat Shema):

These verses represent a cosmic alignment — the moment when lower and upper realms merge through the motion of the Ark and the utterance of these holy words.

🌀 IV. Why the Inversion? The Secret of Galut and Geulah

Midrash Bamidbar Rabbah 2:9:

“Why is this passage out of place? Because it interrupts the two calamities that surround it — the complaints before and after — to teach that God’s presence rests even in the midst of complaint and chaos.”

The inverted nuns act like a spiritual parenthesis, concealing a spark of light between moments of darkness.
The sages say: This section represents potential redemption within exile, a Messianic flashpoint buried in the wilderness.

✡️ V. Who Wrote These Two Verses?

Talmud Yerushalmi (Shabbat 16:1):

Some authorities question whether this section was written by Moshe or is part of another prophetic layer embedded within Torah.

Ramban (on Numbers 10:35):

These verses reflect the power of Moshe’s prophecy, which activates Divine protection during journeys — literally calling forth the Divine Name in action.
Rabbi Tzadok HaKohen (Resisei Laila 28):

These two verses are the voice of the inner tzaddik — invoking divine energy to scatter the enemies of holiness. The “enemies” are also the internal kelipot that block spiritual growth.

🌌 VI. Nunim Hafuchim in Kabbalah: Descent for the Sake of Ascent

The letter nun (נ) represents falling or bending downward (as in nefilah – fall), and when inverted, it reflects the soul descending into exile for the sake of a higher elevation (yeridah l’tzorech aliyah).
Baal HaTurim (on Numbers 10:35):

The two inverted nuns resemble bookends for a separate scroll — a portable message of salvation carried within the journeys of the Ark.
Chida (Nachal Kedumim):

The placement of these verses hints to hidden divine codes. When fully revealed, they will realign the Torah's structure in the time of Mashiach, as“the Torah will return to its original form.”

🕯 VII. Summary of Sages' Insights

Aspect	Sages’ Interpretation
Inverted Nuns	Sign of separation, concealment, and hidden revelation (Talmud, Zohar)
85-Letter Passage	A book within a book — the Torah as seven books (Rabbi in Shabbat 115b)
Torah out of order	Due to Adam’s sin and exile; restoration will happen in Messianic times (Zohar)
Enemies scattered	Represents both external nations and internal spiritual forces (Zohar, Chida)
Messianic Light	This section is a spark of geulah (redemption) embedded in galut (exile)

🔚 Conclusion: The Scroll Within the Scroll

The two verses between the nunim hafuchim in Parashat Beha’alotekha are much more than a narrative aside — they are a hidden Torah scroll, a cosmic weapon, and a message from beyond. The sages reveal that these verses carry the energy of the Ark, the voice of the Tzaddik, and the hope of redemption, embedded within the journeys of Israel through a wilderness of complaints, trials, and spiritual testing.

In the future, as the sages teach, this hidden book will take its rightful place, and the entire Torah will be revealed in its true Divine order, shining with the light of Mashiach.

WHEN YOU RAISE THE LIGHT

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