"The Holy One, blessed be He, made five possessions His very own in His world…" (Avot 6:10)

These five possessions are rooted in five supernal emanations (called the sefirot). Abraham - in chesed; the Torah - gevura; Israel - tiferet; Heaven and Earth - yesod; the Temple - malchut.

The main function and purpose of these five possessions is connected with the revelation of divinity to the Jewish people, and to the world in general. This also corresponds to the five prayer-services of Yom Kippur…

Among other things, the five possessions also hint to the following:

1. The five books of the Torah.

2. The five levels of the soul - Nefesh, Ruach, Neshama, Chaya, Yechida.

3. The four levels of the Ineffable Name yud-hei-vav-hei, and the "thorn" on top of the yud. These also correspond to the four worlds, or planes of reality - Atzilut, Beriya, Yetzira and Asiya, and the fifth plane, the infinite worlds which transcend all the other four.

4. Repentance (in Hebrew, "teshuva") which is called "returning" (in Hebrew, "tashuv") the letter hei of the name Havayah to its proper place, after it was dislodged from the previous letters yud-hei-vav by sinful acts. This also corresponds to the five prayer-services of Yom Kippur, and the five acts from which we must abstain on Yom Kippur.

5. The five final letters mem, nun, tzadik, pei, and kaf, which hint at the five redemptions, as is explained in Midrash Rabba, parashat Korach.

- Or HaTorah, Derushim of Shavuot

The Possessions in Prayer

1. The possession of Torah is paralleled by the morning blessings recited over Torah study:

2. Heavens and earth correspond to the Verses of Song (Pesukei D'Zimra), and the first blessing preceding the Reading of the Shema.

3. Abraham is paralleled by the second blessing immediately preceding the Reading of the Shema, "Ahavat Olam".

4. The people of Israel: This is alluded to in the words Shema Yisrael.

5. The holy Temple, which is called "the House of Prayer", corresponds to the Standing Prayer.

[Or HaTorah, Bamidbar, p. 202]