Why Five? and The Rabbi Ovadia Talk about Nibiru

                                                                         בס"ד

Another excellent essay by Rabbi Ephraim Sprecher, Dean of Students, Diaspora Yeshiva:

Why Is The Torah Split Into 5 Books? We can infer form the Zohar that the 5 books of the Torah correspond to the 5 levels of the human soul. These levels of the soul are 1) Nefesh 2) Ruach 3) Neshamah 4) Chayyah and 5) Yechidah.

In the womb, the Divine Soul is called Nefesh from the root Nofesh, resting, because before birth the soul has not yet been activated. At birth, the soul is called Ruach which means wind, because the soul is now free like the wind to soar in any direction.

When the infant starts to nurse, the soul is called Neshamah from the root Neshamah, the breath of survival, because nourishment is essential for human survival.

Until the age of Bar or Bat Mitzvah, the soul is still relatively dormant. When one becomes obligated to perform Mitzvot, Hashem introduces the Yetzer Tov (Good Inclination), into the soul which activates it to serve Hashem. Then the soul is called Chayyah, the live one, because it receives new vigor and vitality.

When the soul finally comprehends that Hashem is the one and only power in the universe, the soul is referred to as Yechidah, the unique one and only. Most people never achieve this level of apprehension of Hashem. This level of achievement is for the truly righteous who struggle all their lives to comprehend Hashem in each and every event and attain the level of Yechidah in this world. Thus, the Talmud in Chulin 7 states that a person does not even stub his toe unless Hashem directly ordains it.

However, when an ordinary person dies and his soul is released from his body, only then can he conceive of Hashem as the One and Only Power. Only in Olam Haba does his soul enter the sphere of Yechidah.

The Midrash in Vayikra Raba explains that the soul is a part of Hashem himself. As the Torah states in Devarim 32, "For Hashem is a portion of His people." The Midrash continues to describe how the soul actually resembles Hashem himself. Just as the soul permeates every fiber of the body, so too Hashem's presence fills the entire world.

Just as the soul sees everything but yet is unseen, so too Hashem sees everything but He remains unseen. Just as the soul is connected to the body, yet it preserves its purity, so too Hashem is connected to this mundane sinful world but maintains His purity.

The Nefesh part of the soul corresponds to the book of Bereishis as it says, "And the human became L'NEFESH Chaya." The Ruach part is connected to the book of Shemos, because in Sefer Shemos we received the Torah which is our Ruach.

The Neshamah part of the soul represents the Book of Vayikra which teaches about atonement through the Sacrifices, which attain eternal survival for the soul. Chayyah symbolizes the book of Bamidbar for in Midbar Kadesh we received new vigor and vitality of Kedusha.

The most exalted part of the soul is Yechidah, related to the Book of Devarim as it says, "The Rock, His work is perfect. All His ways are just." Realizing this truth is the level of Yechidah which is the actual unification of the soul to Hashem.
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Rabbi Yovel Ovadia gave a fascinating talk Saturday night, 25 February, in Bnai Brak. His topic was Nibiru.  Here is an English translation with a summary written below:
http://www.emunaroma.com/blog/what-rav-yuval-ovadia-said-about-nibiru-yesterday-in-bnei-brak

I am still working on a summary of other sources, trying to pinpoint the time frame of Moshiach and the worldwide redemption. I hope to have it completed in the next couple of days, B"N.