128. Come and behold: no Nun is mentioned in THE ALPHABETICAL PRAISE, "happy are they who dwell in Your house" (Tehilim 84:5) because THE NUN, WHICH IS MALCHUT, is in exile. The friends have explained it, since it is written about her: "the virgin of Yisrael is fallen; she shall no more rise..." (Amos 5:2). However, it is written above: "and the Ark of the Covenant of Hashem went before them in the three days' journey, to search out a resting place for them" (Bemidbar 10:33). As soon as the Ark traveled, the Nun was traveling above it, THAT IS MALCHUT, since the Shechinah was residing on the Ark. Come and behold the love of the Holy One, blessed be He, for Yisrael. Even though they diverged from the straight path, the Holy One, blessed be He, did not wish to forsake them. He always turns His face back to them, for had it not been so, they would never have been able to survive in the world.

132. It is definitely so THAT MALCHUT did not turn her face back FROM YISRAEL. What did she do when the Ark began to rest? Moses then said: "Return, Hashem" (Bemidbar 10:36), MEANING CEASE FROM THE ILLUMINATION OF CHOCHMAH AND RETURN TO THE ILLUMINATION OF CHASSADIM OF ZEIR ANPIN. Then the Ark stayed, MEANING IT RESTED, and the Shechinah stood on the other side, MEANING ON THE RIGHT SIDE. She turns THAT face toward Yisrael and to the Ark, MEANING THAT SHE FACES THE ARK TO RECEIVE CHASSADIM FROM IT, AND FACES YISRAEL TO BESTOW THEM WITH CHASSADIM THAT SHE RECEIVES FROM THE ARK OF THE COVENANT. Everything is then contained in Her, both the Ark and Yisrael. Only later, Yisrael caused MALCHUT TO TURN HER BACK ON THEM, as it is written: "and when the people complained" (Bemidbar 11:1). THEREFORE, THE NUN IS INVERTED BETWEEN THE VERSES: "AND IT CAME TO PASS, WHEN THE ARK SET FORWARD," AND, "AND WHEN THE PEOPLE COMPLAINED."