Rabbi Yisrael Baal Shem Tov said: The verse states,¹¹⁵ “Make a light (Tzohar-צהר) for the ark (Teivah-תיבה).” That is, the word-Teivah-תיבהthat you speak, should illuminate-Matzhir-מצהירall things.¹¹⁶-תיבה refers to the Ark of Noah, the term Teivah-תיבה also means a “word.”

footnotes: ¹¹⁵ Genesis 6:16 ¹¹⁶ Although in the verse the word Teivah

For, every letter you utter contains worlds, souls, and Godliness, and together they ascend and unify with Godliness. The letters then unify and connect with each other, becoming a word, and they unify with true unity to Godliness. A person must therefore include his soul in all these aspects. Then all the worlds become unified as one and ascend, causing immeasurable joy and great delight.

This then, is the meaning of the continuation,¹¹⁷ “You shall make it with lower, second and third stories.” These refer to worlds, souls, and Godliness, for “The Holy One, blessed is He, has three worlds within which He is concealed.”¹¹⁸ In every word you speak, listen to what you are saying, for the Divine Presence (Shechinah), the World of Speech, is speaking. However, this is only so, if your speech has light-Tzohar-צהר; that it comes out with brilliance and with the intention of giving satisfaction to your Creator, blessed is He. One requires great faith to attain this level of speech, for the Divine Presence (Shechinah) is called, “firm faithfulness.”¹¹⁹ On the other hand, a faithless person is called,¹²⁰ “A complainer who separates from the Master,” God forbid.

footnotes: ¹¹⁷ Ibid. ¹¹⁸ Zohar Vol. 3, 159a ¹¹⁹ Isaiah 25:1; See also Pardes Rimonim, Shaar 23:1 and the citations there. ¹²⁰ Proverbs 16:28

The continuation reads, “Complete it to a cubit above (Amah-אמה),” referring to the upper mother-Imma-אמה.¹²¹, which is called the Upper Mother-Imma Ila’ah. Or we can say that once a word has left your mouth, there is no need to keep it in mind any longer, because you cannot see its ascent to its lofty place, just as you cannot gaze at the sun. This is the meaning of, “finish it above.”¹²² Now, how is one to accomplish this? The verse says,¹²³ “Come, you and all your household into the ark-תיבה,” that is, put your body and all the power of your faculties into the word-Teivah-תיבה,” and think joyfully when you speak.

footnotes: ¹²¹ In other words, the faculty of speech is complete when it is connected above to the faculty of Understanding-Binah ¹²² The words, תכלנה למעלה-Techalena LeMaalah, can also mean that, “They dissipate above.” That is, once the words go above, they dissipate from your consciousness. ¹²³ Genesis 7:1