Meditations on Nun...
The fourteenth letter of the Hebrew Aleph-Beit is Nun. In Aramaic, Nun means Fish. In Hebrew, it means Kingdom, and Heir to the Throne. The Fish swims in Mem, concealed in the Water. It is Leviathan. Leviathan equals Malkuth in gematria. Leviathan (Nun) is the symbol of Malkuth, Kingdom, and the Heir to the Throne, which is Mashiach (Messiah). Nun is also used to conceal a name by replacing a letter in it. This is Nun as the Fish concealed in Mem. Nun is hidden, just as the Mashiach is hidden in the Tanakh. But, as with Mashiach, Nun is revealed when the hidden name becomes known.
Like Koph and Mem, Nun has two forms. The first is similar to a Zayin, but with a curved body. The head is the same, but the body curves to the right, then roles back to the left. In some scripts, it looks more like a Vev with a foot coming out to the left. Either way, this Nun is a vessel on its side, and is a bent over servant. Nun is a container that is hidden, but, being Fish, it is completely surrounded by water, so is full even though its on its side. As a bent over servant, it has the humility of Daleth, which is Malkuth. The second form is a Vev or a Zayin (depending on the script) that descends below the line. This is the final Nun, used at the end of a word. This is the unbound servant, the Machiach rising up from concealment to become King. As an extended Zayin, Nun is crowned King, and the first Nun is revealed to be wearing the Crown (Kether), showing us that the servant was the King, the Heir to the Throne, the Mashiach, concealed as a lowly servant. It is the ultimate example of Shiflut.
As the fourteenth letter, Nun represents David (fourteen in gematria), whose heir is Mashiach. Nun is also 50. The Jubilee Year, when the captives are set free, is the fiftieth year. In Kabbalah, there are fifty gates of Understanding. These represent each of the lower seven Sephiroth within each other, Malkuth of Malkuth to Chesed of Chesed. There are 49 of these, just as there are 49 years before the Year of Jubilee. The fiftieth gate (Nun) is Binah, Understanding. Hence Nun represents Binah. Understanding is the revealing of that which is hidden. It is Mashiach. Both 14 and 50 reduce to five, which is Heh. Life was in the first Breathe, and Vev is hidden in the middle of Heh, between Yod and Daleth. Vev is the Bride and the Bridegroom, Shekhinah and Machiach. The final Nun is 700. 700 is in grematia כפרת, the Mercy Seat, where the presence of G-d, Shekhinah, rested, and where restitution was made for Israel, with the splattering of blood. This is not just the throne of Shekhinah, but of Machiach as well. It was concealed within the Holy of Holies, behind the Veil. This is the mystically the Veil between the World of Mem and the World of Aleph, between Yetzurah and Briah. The first Nun is Malkuth, but the final Nun is Tipherah, beyond the Veil. The tide of Mem washes on Malkuth and Tipherah. Malkuth is Mashiach concealed. Tipherah is Mashiach revealed as King. 700 reduces to 7, which is Zayin, the crowned Vev, which is Mashiach crowned by Shekhinah, his Bride.
On the Ari's Tree, Nun connects Netzach to Yesod, Victory to Foundation. Netzach is the bottom of the masculine Pillar, and is the manifestation of that Pillar in Malkuth. Yesod is where all things above flow into Malkuth, and represents the union of the upper worlds with the feminine nature of malkuth, Shekhinah. Nun here is the masculine flowing into the feminine. On the Gra's Tree, Nun connects Tipherah to Hod, Glory. Here, Nun represents Mashiach (Tipherah) embracing Hod, and the embracing of problems to overcome them instead of attaching them. Mashiach is male, but understands a feminine approach, hence is balanced at Tipherah, in the centre of the Middle Pillar.
On Kircher's Tree, Nun connects Tipherah to Netzach. This is the mirror of the Gra's position, signifying the use of the masculine, not just the feminine in solving problems. When we first encounter Nun, Death is here. After the Fool has passed through, we find Temperance.
Death in Nun represents Mashiach brought low, as a bowed servant. And it represents the change that occurs when Mashiach is revealed as the Heir. Death is also the blood splattered on the Mercy Seat, bringing forgiveness.
When the Fool comes to Nun, he learns about concealing and revealing, finally learning the balance and when to do each.
Once the Fool has traipsed on, we find Temperance in Nun. Here, Temperance is the balance between revealing and concealing, between the masculine and the feminine, between humility and Kingship. Temperance takes all things in moderation, in balance. It is also a card of opposites in union. It is Shekhinah and Mashiach coming together. It is revealing at the same time as concealing.
The lesson of Nun is to know when to conceal and when to reveal. Are there things in your life you are hiding that you need to share and tell someone about? It's time to do so. Are there things you tell people that would be better off remaining hidden. Decide today not to reveal them any more. Nun is also about Shiflut. Don't judge others or yourself, for we are all lowly in comparison to the King, Mashiach, yet even Mashiach is willing to be a humble servant until his time comes.
~Muninn's Kiss
Like Koph and Mem, Nun has two forms. The first is similar to a Zayin, but with a curved body. The head is the same, but the body curves to the right, then roles back to the left. In some scripts, it looks more like a Vev with a foot coming out to the left. Either way, this Nun is a vessel on its side, and is a bent over servant. Nun is a container that is hidden, but, being Fish, it is completely surrounded by water, so is full even though its on its side. As a bent over servant, it has the humility of Daleth, which is Malkuth. The second form is a Vev or a Zayin (depending on the script) that descends below the line. This is the final Nun, used at the end of a word. This is the unbound servant, the Machiach rising up from concealment to become King. As an extended Zayin, Nun is crowned King, and the first Nun is revealed to be wearing the Crown (Kether), showing us that the servant was the King, the Heir to the Throne, the Mashiach, concealed as a lowly servant. It is the ultimate example of Shiflut.
As the fourteenth letter, Nun represents David (fourteen in gematria), whose heir is Mashiach. Nun is also 50. The Jubilee Year, when the captives are set free, is the fiftieth year. In Kabbalah, there are fifty gates of Understanding. These represent each of the lower seven Sephiroth within each other, Malkuth of Malkuth to Chesed of Chesed. There are 49 of these, just as there are 49 years before the Year of Jubilee. The fiftieth gate (Nun) is Binah, Understanding. Hence Nun represents Binah. Understanding is the revealing of that which is hidden. It is Mashiach. Both 14 and 50 reduce to five, which is Heh. Life was in the first Breathe, and Vev is hidden in the middle of Heh, between Yod and Daleth. Vev is the Bride and the Bridegroom, Shekhinah and Machiach. The final Nun is 700. 700 is in grematia כפרת, the Mercy Seat, where the presence of G-d, Shekhinah, rested, and where restitution was made for Israel, with the splattering of blood. This is not just the throne of Shekhinah, but of Machiach as well. It was concealed within the Holy of Holies, behind the Veil. This is the mystically the Veil between the World of Mem and the World of Aleph, between Yetzurah and Briah. The first Nun is Malkuth, but the final Nun is Tipherah, beyond the Veil. The tide of Mem washes on Malkuth and Tipherah. Malkuth is Mashiach concealed. Tipherah is Mashiach revealed as King. 700 reduces to 7, which is Zayin, the crowned Vev, which is Mashiach crowned by Shekhinah, his Bride.
On the Ari's Tree, Nun connects Netzach to Yesod, Victory to Foundation. Netzach is the bottom of the masculine Pillar, and is the manifestation of that Pillar in Malkuth. Yesod is where all things above flow into Malkuth, and represents the union of the upper worlds with the feminine nature of malkuth, Shekhinah. Nun here is the masculine flowing into the feminine. On the Gra's Tree, Nun connects Tipherah to Hod, Glory. Here, Nun represents Mashiach (Tipherah) embracing Hod, and the embracing of problems to overcome them instead of attaching them. Mashiach is male, but understands a feminine approach, hence is balanced at Tipherah, in the centre of the Middle Pillar.
On Kircher's Tree, Nun connects Tipherah to Netzach. This is the mirror of the Gra's position, signifying the use of the masculine, not just the feminine in solving problems. When we first encounter Nun, Death is here. After the Fool has passed through, we find Temperance.
Death in Nun represents Mashiach brought low, as a bowed servant. And it represents the change that occurs when Mashiach is revealed as the Heir. Death is also the blood splattered on the Mercy Seat, bringing forgiveness.
When the Fool comes to Nun, he learns about concealing and revealing, finally learning the balance and when to do each.
Once the Fool has traipsed on, we find Temperance in Nun. Here, Temperance is the balance between revealing and concealing, between the masculine and the feminine, between humility and Kingship. Temperance takes all things in moderation, in balance. It is also a card of opposites in union. It is Shekhinah and Mashiach coming together. It is revealing at the same time as concealing.
The lesson of Nun is to know when to conceal and when to reveal. Are there things in your life you are hiding that you need to share and tell someone about? It's time to do so. Are there things you tell people that would be better off remaining hidden. Decide today not to reveal them any more. Nun is also about Shiflut. Don't judge others or yourself, for we are all lowly in comparison to the King, Mashiach, yet even Mashiach is willing to be a humble servant until his time comes.
~Muninn's Kiss