TUESDAY PRAYER: YESOD-MAIN READING OF THE WEEK – THE ZOHAR BOOK
READING: SUNSET MONDAY
Main Reading for PRAYER OF MANY, today with ENGLISH ZOHAR READING, page 161-163.
ARVUT OF : Robin Anderson
THE LETTER NUN
- The letter Nun entered and said to the Creator: “It would be good for You
to create the world with me, for Norah Tehilot (great praises) is written with
me, as well as ‘Praising of the righteous.’”
The Creator replied: “Return to your place, for you are the reason that
the letter Samech returned to its place. And rely on it for support. For the
letter Nun exists in the word Nefilah (fall), which must be corrected by the
letter Samech. This is the reason why it needed to return to its place—so as to
strengthen the lower ones.” The letter Nun left Him at once.
When Nun saw that the Creator sent the letter Samech away (as its properties
are only used in the state of Katnut, that is, only to support those who had fallen
from the Gadlut), it thought that it was worthy of being the basis of the world.
This is because not only does Nun have all the advantages of Samech, but it can
also use Ohr Hochma, the Light of Gadlut. Thus, the reason for the Creator’s
refusal to Samech does not apply to Nun.
The Sefira Gevura in ZA is called Nun, for it is entirely mitigated by Bina’s
property of mercy, called Nun = 50 gates of Bina. It is this property of Gevura that
gives ZA the name Norah Tehilot (great praises). Ima-Bina is called Tehilah (praise),
and since Gevura descends from Bina, it is referred to as Norah Tehilot, while Nun
is used in the Sefira Yesod, in the Gadlut of ZA during his Zivug with Nukva. Like
Ima, this is whence Nukva receives the name Tehilah, while ZA becomes one in
both Tehilot—Ima and Nukva.
Therefore, the letter Nun said that, being in Gevura, the left line of ZA, it
attracts the Light of Mercy emanated by Samech (Bina, Ima), which is also called
the “Upper Tehilah,” as a result of which ZA acquires its properties and the name
Norah Tehilot to match them. This is why Nun has all the properties of Samech: the
Light of Mercy that bestows perfection and repels the impure forces-desires.
The letter Nun added: “However, I have an additional advantage in that I am
used during the big state of ZA in his Yesod, in the letter Tzadik, of which I am
the left element.” This Nun in the letter Tzadik is that same Nun that is defined as
Norah Tehilot (praises of the righteous), for even when ZA achieves Gadlut during
the ascent of ZON to AVI, Nun also acts in Yesod of ZA, connecting Nukva backto-
back with ZA, so that ZA receives the Light of Mercy from AVI (Samech).
And so Nun is called “praises of the righteous,” for Yod (righteous one, the
basis of the world) mounts it. Nun is called “great praises,” for it attracts the
Light of Wisdom to Malchut in the state of Gadlut.
Therefore, we find that Malchut receives all her beauty from Nun, which is
located in Yesod of ZA. This is why the letter Nun claimed that it merits for the
world to be created with its properties, for its luminescence adds to the Light of
Wisdom that unites and revives ZON, and does not merely support them, like
the letter Samech.
So the Creator answered it: “You are wrong in thinking that you merit
leading the world to complete correction by your properties, without the clinging
of impure forces, for even your properties need to be supported by the letter
Samech. Indeed, this is precisely why you are connected back-to-back with the
letter Yod, and the Light of Samech guards you against the clinging of the impure
forces onto you. And that is why your properties, which rely upon the strength
of Samech, are merely ones of support. Hence, you are unworthy of becoming
the basis of the world.”