The Inverted Nuns in Parshas Behaalosecha
In Parshas Behaalosecha we read the two Pesukim;
׆ וַיְהִ֛י בִּנְסֹ֥עַ הָאָרֹ֖ן וַיֹּ֣אמֶר מֹשֶׁ֑ה קוּמָ֣ה ׀ יְהוָ֗ה וְיָפֻ֙צוּ֙ אֹֽיְבֶ֔יךָ וְיָנֻ֥סוּ מְשַׂנְאֶ֖יךָ מִפָּנֶֽיךָ׃ וּבְנֻחֹ֖ה יֹאמַ֑ר שׁוּבָ֣ה יְהוָ֔ה רִֽבְב֖וֹת אַלְפֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל ׆
The Gemara[1] teaches that Hashem made Simanios (signs) for this Parsha of “Vayehi Binsoa HaAron” above (before) it and below (after it). The Gemara presents 2 opinions as to the reason for these signs, but it does not say what form these signs should take.
In our Sifrei Torah, the Simanios are written in the form of a Nun which is written backwards and upside-down. One of these Nuns are written in the blank gap before these Pesukim and another is written in the gap after the Pesukim (as depicted above).
These are referred to as Nunin Hafuchin (reversed) or Nunim Menuzaros[2] (turned around).
Whilst our standard Sifrei Torah are written in this way, there is considerable debate by the Halachic authorities as to how the Simanios should be written. Some contend that there should be no extra or changed letters at all. And amongst those who do require the inverted Nuns, there are differing opinions on which Nuns these are and how and where they should be drawn.
It is interesting to note that the Rambam does not mention these Simanios. Nor is it brought in the Shulchan Aruch or Halachic codes.
No extra or changed letters
The Sifri[3] teaches that the Simanios are in the form of dots placed before and after the Parsha[4]. Accordingly, there are no extra or changed letters[5].
Maharsha”l[6] concludes that the Simanios are created by having the gaps themselves because technically these Pesukim are a continuation of the preceding verses and there should be no Parsha break.
Inverted Nuns
However, the majority of sources write that the Simanios are in the form of inverted Nuns.
In the classic sources, this is recorded in the Midrash Pesikta and in the Zohar. It is also the opinion of some of the Geonim and Rishonim.
It is recorded in the name of Rav Hai Gaon and Rabbeinu Chananel[7], that the Simanios are written as “Nunin Hafuchin” upside-down or backwards Nuns. This understanding is also brought by the Rashba[8] who writes that on Shabbos one is liable for writing 2 letters even if they are not actual letter but rather signs. He gives the example of the inverted Nuns in the Parsha of Vayehi Binsoa.
Whilst in our text of Rashi on the Gemara, Rashi does not identify the form of the Simanios, Maharsha”l[9] writes that he saw a precise, old version of Rashi written on parchment, that depicts the Simanios in the form of upside-down and back-to-front Nuns[10].
Maharsha”l – The Nuns in the words
In his Teshuvah, Maharsha”l writes that those who add the extra Nuns before and after the Parsha are mistaken because they are effectively adding letters to the Sefer Torah. Any extra marking, and certainly a letter written in ink would invalidate the Seder Torah. In his commentary on the Gemara[11] he writes “those Sifrei Torah which have the inverted Nuns as extra letters… it appears probable in my eyes that these Sifrei Torah are Posul.”
He brings support for his position, for if the Simanios were in the form of extra inverted Nuns, the Rambam would surely have recorded this.
Maharsha”l records other versions of writing the Simanios with inverted Nuns without adding extra letters, citing the Sefer Torah written by Rabbi Todros of Speyer. This Sefer Torah did not have the extra inverted Nuns, rather, the Nuns in the words themselves, such as in the word Binsoa, are inverted[12].
The Maharsha”l questions this as well, because a letter which is written upside-down is not a properly formed letter. But he stops short of invalidating such a Sefer Torah, because the Rambam[13] rules that one should be careful with the various letters which are written in a strange form… as was transcribed from scribe to scribe[14].
At the end of his Teshuvah, the Maharsha”l writes that he searched and found 12 different practises on which Nuns are included or inverted. These practises included reversing the Nuns in one or multiple of the words בִּנְסֹ֥עַ וְיָנֻ֥סוּ מְשַׂנְאֶ֖יךָ וּבְנֻחֹ֖ה and מתאוננים. He critiques each possibility and suggests how they should be amended to be Halachically acceptable.
Mahara”m of Lublin
The Mahara”m of Lublin[15] argues with the Maharsha”l that the Simanios are not just the gaps before and after the Parsha. He cites this based on the Midrashim and Rishonim which refer to written signs in the forms of the additional Nuns.
The opinions which invert the letters within the words themselves are based on different understandings of the opinions of Rabbi Shimon and his son Rabbi Elazar in the Zohar on Parshas Behaalosecha.
Mahara”m Lublin concludes that the additional Nuns, whether they are included or left out, do not disqualify the Sefer Torah. However, the Nun of Binsoa must be written inverted. If it was not inverted, the Sefer Torah should be corrected. The Nun of Uvenucho should be written facing backwards, but not upside-down.
Another interesting custom is recorded in the Shaalah that was posed to the Mahara”m of Lublin where inverted Nuns are written either on top of, or under the regular Nuns in the words Binsoa and Uvnucho.
Maharam of Lonzano
Mahara”m Lonzano[16] writes that based on the Gemara, only the extra Nuns before and after the passage should be added. They should be written back-to-front but not upside down. The letters in the words themselves should not be changed.
Whilst in some Seforim these Nuns were written as larger letters, all of the Sifrei Torah in Sefarad and Ashkenaz use regular sized letters.
He records the opinion of Recanati, based on the Zohar, that only the base of the Nun is rotated backwards. Based on his understanding of the Zohar, Mahara”m Lonzano argues that the top of the Nun should be rotated backwards, not the base. But he concludes that it is best to rotate the entire Nun backwards .
Another form of the Nun is described by Maaseh Rekach[17]. The base of the Nun is not drawn straight, but rather point diagonally downwards. The top of the Nun is inverted to the right and is drawn facing diagonally upwards.
Nodah Biyehuda
The Nodah Biyehuda also argues with the Maharsha”l. He explains that the extra Nuns do not invalidate the Sefer Torah because they do not affect the words. Additionally, the prohibition is only on writing extra letters. Since these Nuns are written upside down, they are not letters, but rather Simanios.
In order to ensure that the extra Nuns do not reduce the required size of the gap between the Parshios, one should ensure that there is a gap of 9 letter length before the first inverted Nun and another gap of 9 letters length after the second inverted Nun.
He writes that the letters within the words should not be changed, because if they are not done correctly, they are considered as missing letters from the words.
Unlike the Maharsha”l and Mahara”m Lublin, the Nodah Biyehuda does not follow or explain the Zohar, because we do not rule Halacha from the Zohar.
A letter from the Rebbe
In 5714 (1954), someone wrote to the Rebbe about an old Sefer Torah that did not have the inverted Nuns before and after the Parsha of Vayehi Binsoa. Rather, the Nun of the word Binsoa and the second Nun in the word Misonenim were written upside down.
The Rebbe responded that he has not seen a source for the Nun Menuzar to be the second Nun in the word Misonenim. The opinion of the Maharsha”l inverts the first Nun in the word. Therefore, since one must change the Sefer Torah in any case, it should be changed to match our Sifrei Torah, with the inverted Nuns in the spaces before and after. The remaining Nuns in the words should be written as per usual.
According to one view in the Gemara, the Simanios are there to signify that this is not the proper place for this Parsha. Hashem placed it here to separate the sins of the Jewish people that they should not be recorded in succession. In the future, when Moshiach comes, the Parsha will be restored to its intended placement. May we merit for this assurance to be fulfilled now.
______________________________________
[1] Shabbos 115b
[2] From the terminology נזור as found in the Posuk נָזוֹרוּ אָחוֹר (Yishayahu1:4)
[3] Behaalosecha
[4] Either before and after the Pesukim, or on top of the first and last word of the Pesukim as we find with other words in the Torah which have dots on top of them
[5] Some say that the Sifri also requires inverted Nuns but they each have a dot on top.
[6] Shu”t Maharsha”l 73 and Chochmas Shlomo on the Gemara
[7] See Nodah Biyehuda Yoreh Deah Kama 74
[8] Chiddushim Shabbos 103a
[9] ibid
[10] This is also illustrated in our version of Rashi on Rosh Hashana 17b describing the Simanios in Tehillim 107
[11] Chochmas Shlomo 115b
[12] This is the opinion recorded by Rabbi Yehudah Bartzeloni and the Meriri
[13] Hilchos Sefer Torah 7:8-9
[14] He suggests that this may have been passed down from Ezra Hasofer
[15] Siman 75
[16] Menachem Lunzano Or Torah Behaalosecha
[17] He writes that this is the way that the Nun is written in the Sefer HaAzarah
׆ וַיְהִ֛י בִּנְסֹ֥עַ הָאָרֹ֖ן וַיֹּ֣אמֶר מֹשֶׁ֑ה קוּמָ֣ה ׀ יְהוָ֗ה וְיָפֻ֙צוּ֙ אֹֽיְבֶ֔יךָ וְיָנֻ֥סוּ מְשַׂנְאֶ֖יךָ מִפָּנֶֽיךָ׃ וּבְנֻחֹ֖ה יֹאמַ֑ר שׁוּבָ֣ה יְהוָ֔ה רִֽבְב֖וֹת אַלְפֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל ׆
The Gemara[1] teaches that Hashem made Simanios (signs) for this Parsha of “Vayehi Binsoa HaAron” above (before) it and below (after it). The Gemara presents 2 opinions as to the reason for these signs, but it does not say what form these signs should take.
In our Sifrei Torah, the Simanios are written in the form of a Nun which is written backwards and upside-down. One of these Nuns are written in the blank gap before these Pesukim and another is written in the gap after the Pesukim (as depicted above).
These are referred to as Nunin Hafuchin (reversed) or Nunim Menuzaros[2] (turned around).
Whilst our standard Sifrei Torah are written in this way, there is considerable debate by the Halachic authorities as to how the Simanios should be written. Some contend that there should be no extra or changed letters at all. And amongst those who do require the inverted Nuns, there are differing opinions on which Nuns these are and how and where they should be drawn.
It is interesting to note that the Rambam does not mention these Simanios. Nor is it brought in the Shulchan Aruch or Halachic codes.
No extra or changed letters
The Sifri[3] teaches that the Simanios are in the form of dots placed before and after the Parsha[4]. Accordingly, there are no extra or changed letters[5].
Maharsha”l[6] concludes that the Simanios are created by having the gaps themselves because technically these Pesukim are a continuation of the preceding verses and there should be no Parsha break.
Inverted Nuns
However, the majority of sources write that the Simanios are in the form of inverted Nuns.
In the classic sources, this is recorded in the Midrash Pesikta and in the Zohar. It is also the opinion of some of the Geonim and Rishonim.
It is recorded in the name of Rav Hai Gaon and Rabbeinu Chananel[7], that the Simanios are written as “Nunin Hafuchin” upside-down or backwards Nuns. This understanding is also brought by the Rashba[8] who writes that on Shabbos one is liable for writing 2 letters even if they are not actual letter but rather signs. He gives the example of the inverted Nuns in the Parsha of Vayehi Binsoa.
Whilst in our text of Rashi on the Gemara, Rashi does not identify the form of the Simanios, Maharsha”l[9] writes that he saw a precise, old version of Rashi written on parchment, that depicts the Simanios in the form of upside-down and back-to-front Nuns[10].
Maharsha”l – The Nuns in the words
In his Teshuvah, Maharsha”l writes that those who add the extra Nuns before and after the Parsha are mistaken because they are effectively adding letters to the Sefer Torah. Any extra marking, and certainly a letter written in ink would invalidate the Seder Torah. In his commentary on the Gemara[11] he writes “those Sifrei Torah which have the inverted Nuns as extra letters… it appears probable in my eyes that these Sifrei Torah are Posul.”
He brings support for his position, for if the Simanios were in the form of extra inverted Nuns, the Rambam would surely have recorded this.
Maharsha”l records other versions of writing the Simanios with inverted Nuns without adding extra letters, citing the Sefer Torah written by Rabbi Todros of Speyer. This Sefer Torah did not have the extra inverted Nuns, rather, the Nuns in the words themselves, such as in the word Binsoa, are inverted[12].
The Maharsha”l questions this as well, because a letter which is written upside-down is not a properly formed letter. But he stops short of invalidating such a Sefer Torah, because the Rambam[13] rules that one should be careful with the various letters which are written in a strange form… as was transcribed from scribe to scribe[14].
At the end of his Teshuvah, the Maharsha”l writes that he searched and found 12 different practises on which Nuns are included or inverted. These practises included reversing the Nuns in one or multiple of the words בִּנְסֹ֥עַ וְיָנֻ֥סוּ מְשַׂנְאֶ֖יךָ וּבְנֻחֹ֖ה and מתאוננים. He critiques each possibility and suggests how they should be amended to be Halachically acceptable.
Mahara”m of Lublin
The Mahara”m of Lublin[15] argues with the Maharsha”l that the Simanios are not just the gaps before and after the Parsha. He cites this based on the Midrashim and Rishonim which refer to written signs in the forms of the additional Nuns.
The opinions which invert the letters within the words themselves are based on different understandings of the opinions of Rabbi Shimon and his son Rabbi Elazar in the Zohar on Parshas Behaalosecha.
Mahara”m Lublin concludes that the additional Nuns, whether they are included or left out, do not disqualify the Sefer Torah. However, the Nun of Binsoa must be written inverted. If it was not inverted, the Sefer Torah should be corrected. The Nun of Uvenucho should be written facing backwards, but not upside-down.
Another interesting custom is recorded in the Shaalah that was posed to the Mahara”m of Lublin where inverted Nuns are written either on top of, or under the regular Nuns in the words Binsoa and Uvnucho.
Maharam of Lonzano
Mahara”m Lonzano[16] writes that based on the Gemara, only the extra Nuns before and after the passage should be added. They should be written back-to-front but not upside down. The letters in the words themselves should not be changed.
Whilst in some Seforim these Nuns were written as larger letters, all of the Sifrei Torah in Sefarad and Ashkenaz use regular sized letters.
He records the opinion of Recanati, based on the Zohar, that only the base of the Nun is rotated backwards. Based on his understanding of the Zohar, Mahara”m Lonzano argues that the top of the Nun should be rotated backwards, not the base. But he concludes that it is best to rotate the entire Nun backwards .
Another form of the Nun is described by Maaseh Rekach[17]. The base of the Nun is not drawn straight, but rather point diagonally downwards. The top of the Nun is inverted to the right and is drawn facing diagonally upwards.
Nodah Biyehuda
The Nodah Biyehuda also argues with the Maharsha”l. He explains that the extra Nuns do not invalidate the Sefer Torah because they do not affect the words. Additionally, the prohibition is only on writing extra letters. Since these Nuns are written upside down, they are not letters, but rather Simanios.
In order to ensure that the extra Nuns do not reduce the required size of the gap between the Parshios, one should ensure that there is a gap of 9 letter length before the first inverted Nun and another gap of 9 letters length after the second inverted Nun.
He writes that the letters within the words should not be changed, because if they are not done correctly, they are considered as missing letters from the words.
Unlike the Maharsha”l and Mahara”m Lublin, the Nodah Biyehuda does not follow or explain the Zohar, because we do not rule Halacha from the Zohar.
A letter from the Rebbe
In 5714 (1954), someone wrote to the Rebbe about an old Sefer Torah that did not have the inverted Nuns before and after the Parsha of Vayehi Binsoa. Rather, the Nun of the word Binsoa and the second Nun in the word Misonenim were written upside down.
The Rebbe responded that he has not seen a source for the Nun Menuzar to be the second Nun in the word Misonenim. The opinion of the Maharsha”l inverts the first Nun in the word. Therefore, since one must change the Sefer Torah in any case, it should be changed to match our Sifrei Torah, with the inverted Nuns in the spaces before and after. The remaining Nuns in the words should be written as per usual.
According to one view in the Gemara, the Simanios are there to signify that this is not the proper place for this Parsha. Hashem placed it here to separate the sins of the Jewish people that they should not be recorded in succession. In the future, when Moshiach comes, the Parsha will be restored to its intended placement. May we merit for this assurance to be fulfilled now.
______________________________________
[1] Shabbos 115b
[2] From the terminology נזור as found in the Posuk נָזוֹרוּ אָחוֹר (Yishayahu1:4)
[3] Behaalosecha
[4] Either before and after the Pesukim, or on top of the first and last word of the Pesukim as we find with other words in the Torah which have dots on top of them
[5] Some say that the Sifri also requires inverted Nuns but they each have a dot on top.
[6] Shu”t Maharsha”l 73 and Chochmas Shlomo on the Gemara
[7] See Nodah Biyehuda Yoreh Deah Kama 74
[8] Chiddushim Shabbos 103a
[9] ibid
[10] This is also illustrated in our version of Rashi on Rosh Hashana 17b describing the Simanios in Tehillim 107
[11] Chochmas Shlomo 115b
[12] This is the opinion recorded by Rabbi Yehudah Bartzeloni and the Meriri
[13] Hilchos Sefer Torah 7:8-9
[14] He suggests that this may have been passed down from Ezra Hasofer
[15] Siman 75
[16] Menachem Lunzano Or Torah Behaalosecha
[17] He writes that this is the way that the Nun is written in the Sefer HaAzarah