Closed Mem: The Cut-Short Increase

for the increase of the realm and for peace without end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice: from henceforth for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts performs this.

§ Apropos Hezekiah, the Gemara cites that which is stated: “That the government may be increased [lemarbe] and of peace there be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to establish it and uphold it through justice and through righteousness, from now and forever; the zeal of the Lord of hosts does perform this” (Isaiah 9:6). Rabbi Tanḥum says that bar Kappara taught in Tzippori: Due to what reason is it that every letter mem in the middle of a word is open and this mem, of the word lemarbe, is closed? In the Masoretic text, the letter mem in the word “lemarbe” is written in the form of a mem that appears at the end of a word, closed on all four sides. This is because the Holy One, Blessed be He, sought to designate King Hezekiah as the Messiah and to designate Sennacherib and Assyria, respectively, as Gog and Magog, all from the prophecy of Ezekiel with regard to the end of days (Ezekiel, chapter 38), and the confrontation between them would culminate in the final redemption. The attribute of justice said before the Holy One, Blessed be He: Master of the Universe, and if with regard to David, king of Israel, who recited several songs and praises before You, You did not designate him as the Messiah, then with regard to Hezekiah, for whom You performed all these miracles, delivering him from Sennacherib and healing his illness, and he did not recite praise before You, will You designate him as the Messiah? It is for that reason that the mem was closed, because there was an opportunity for redemption that was thwarted.

The following are written as one word and read as two words: fortune is come; a fiery law; consumed of the fire; what mean ye; and, behold, he; what they; Bani, of; of the Benjamites; the helpless; may He incite death; of the proud oppressors; out of the whirlwind; out of a whirlwind; were broken down.
The reverse of the above are the following: when … were merry; of Benjamin; that … may be increased; out of the cave; by Myself; with their axes; from the daughter; like the ostriches.