Design and Sefirah

Although these two nekudos differ graphically, they both make the sound of “oo.” The shuruk is represented as three dots on a diagonal line placed underneath a letter; the milupim is formed from the letter vav with a dot in the middle of its left side. The Sefirah of the shuruk is Hod—acknowledgment. The Sefirah of the milupim is Yesod—reproduction.

Gematria

The numerical value of the shuruk is thirty. The milupim has a numerical equivalent of sixteen.

Meaning

The definition of the word shuruk1 is a soft vine (sareikah) that produces only a few grapes and a small amount of wine.2 Just as these grapes have not yet been fully formed and have not produced a large quantity of wine, this represents a person who is weak in his spiritual service.

The three dots of the shuruk3 are very different from the three of the segol. The segol relates to the three Patriarchs, who were very close to G‑d. The shuruk, meanwhile, represents one who is far from G‑d(because the three dots are moving away from the letter). However, because this person also possesses the quality of Hod (i.e., he acknowledges that he’s far from G‑d), when he recognizes how awesome and loving G‑d truly is, he changes course and approaches the letter, proceeding in the positive direction.

The word milupim, מלאופם, derives perhaps from the word “to fill,” mil’u, מלאו, as in the verse:4 “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the land and conquer it.”

The message of the milupim is to be fruitful and fill the land with children, students, and good deeds—not to be complacent but to strive always to accomplish more and more. This alludes to the Kabbalistic representation of milupim, which is the Sefirah of Yesod, the attribute of reproduction.