Meditations For Your Soul – 140 Mitzvos (Biblical Commandments) With Meditations

Introduction

“The only free person is one who studies Torah / Bible” the Sages. According to the Lubavitcher Rebbe the reason for this is that a person’s soul naturally desires the Mitzvahs / commandments of the Bible, and those who do not know the Mitzvahs are trapped by their instincts, animalistic passions, and fantasies in a world which is foreign to their souls, to whom they truly are.

There are many forms of slavery; slavery to one’s instincts is a greater slavery than imprisonment, for a person who cannot break out of his passions (like a drug addict) is bound for hell. Passions like drugs, never get quenched, they only get thirstier; and an insatiable thirst, an unquenchable desire develops; and as it is insatiable, it is literally like running towards a goal that only gets moved beyond you, as you approach it.

If you will study the Mitzvahs in this book and do them, you will find the only real happiness known to man.

I can say without fear of contradiction that the happiest people in the world are those who start keeping the Mitzvahs.

I have been all over the world and these are the very happiest people I know.

What’s the secret?

If you were to go to the greatest naturalist and get from him the elixir for life and it would make you happy, you would assume that his great wisdom and supreme understanding of nature put into this elixir is what is the secret of your newfound happiness.

Effectively you wouldn’t need to know the recipe, for you would be thrilled with the result.

The same is true of Mitzvahs (although most simply concur with our natural soul-desire to be good, compassionate, giving, people) many and in fact all of them, have spiritual/mystical powers that cause great connections between you and G-d.

Your soul naturally wants to attach itself to G-d and the word Mitzvah actually comes from the words tzavsah vchibur, meaning a connection. A Mitzvah draws down G-d on you, and your soul feels great joy.

To assist in this process I have included “Meditations” for some of the Mitzvahs, which will help you experience joy while you perform them.

WARNING: When you start doing Mitzvahs your Yetzer Hara will try to stop you. (The Yetzer Hara is an offshoot of your animalistic, instinctual urges, that challenges your connection and devotion to G-d.) This is your Yetzer Hara’s mission from G-d to test you, to see if you are sincere.

Keep at it, for we have a famous rule when it comes to holiness, “If you try, you are guaranteed to succeed!”

Every failure is in fact only leading you closer to G-d. Every mistake is good, for it means you are trying, and when it comes to doing Mitzvahs our Sages guarantee that when you try hard you will succeed!

The Mitzvahs

I have not included the important yet somewhat “outdated” Mitzvahs relating to idol worship and incest as our Yetzer Hara (negative desire) to do these things do not exist anymore. (Of-course every Mitzvah of the Torah is eternal and holds countless messages and lessons, and one is encouraged to study them in other books for this reason.)

The Constant Mitzvahs

Know that there is a G-d who rules, directs, and controls all of nature, and all humankind.

Meditation

“Thank you G-d for always being there for all of nature and for all people.”

Do not think that there is another G-d besides G-d.

Sometimes people wonder, who made G-d? This is like asking, which came first the chicken or the egg? There must be a first cause for everything that we see and that is G-d.

Unify G-d (as it says Hashem Elokeinue Hashem Echad.) We know that the Hebrew word Echad is comprised of the three Hebrew letters: Alef Ches and Daled.

Alef represents Alufo Shel Olam – the Master of the World. Ches represents the seven heavens and earth, and Daled represents north, south, east and west.

Everything – the seven heavens, earth and all of space, is unified with G-d for He is its direct and continual source.

According to Chassidic thought, Elokeinue [one name for G-d] represents nature, Hashem [another name] represent G-d’s ability to create anything, including nature which is G-d’s creation. (These are distinct abilities, for one is the infinite ability to create anything, while the other is the factual reality which is presented to us.)

We should know that these two names are one. We should never think that G-d is not within nature; nature merely is a concealment of G-d, however just like someone is behind the mask he is wearing, G-d is behind the nature He has made.

Furthermore according to science we have an easy parable for this.

Everything is made up of atoms, each atom is a miracle in its own right, circling its nucleus and containing mind bowing amounts of energy.

This miracle must be continually supervised for neither energy nor a precise pattern of the atoms circling their nucleus is possible without G-d, so G-d is very much in control of this world and is its cause of existence, all the time!

For a greater understanding of this please see “The Gateway To Belief and Unity” in “Classic Jewish Mysticism” based on the Tanya.

Meditation

“All of nature is one with G-d!”

Love G-d

Although love is an emotion, nevertheless through contemplating the kindnesses that G-d has given you, you will automatically succeed in loving G-d.

Think how your body and your soul contain your very life and are miracles which only G-d could create.

If you think about these miracles you will come to love the Creator for giving them to you.

It is especially beneficial to think about them as soon as you awaken.

Meditation

“I love you!”

Fear, or be in awe of G-d – a sense of great reverence

To create healthy fear, respect, reverence, and a sense of constant awareness of G-d, one needs to understand a bit of G-d’s greatness.

When you realize that all the almost limitless energy in this world is absolutely nothing compared to G-d’s infinite ability to create (for even the richest man in the world is poor relative to infinite riches that have no limit at all) you will come to appreciate how great G-d is, and you will not want to be separated from G-d or have G-d think poorly of you.

Meditation

“I fear separation from you!”

“Sanctify (glorify) G-d.”

Although thank G-d this is not really something we need to worry about today, nevertheless for thousands of years and for millions of Jews this was a reality.

They happily died Jews, rather than (forcibly) convert to another faith.

Furthermore, when we realize that we are willing to die for G-d, it helps us live as a proud and true person for G-d.

Meditation

“I am willing to die for you!”

Do not destroy anything that has G-d’s name on it.

We are forbidden to throw out a paper that has G-d’s name written out (unlike G-d) out of our great respect for G-d.

In all Orthodox Synagogues one can find a shaimos box, (a box where tattered prayer books and religious pamphlets are put, which are then taken for burial in a Jewish cemetery.)

Meditation

“I respect you!”

Listen to the Prophet who speaks in G-d’s name.

A Prophet is an individual (more common during Temple times) who through great self-control conquered all negative traits; is wise in Torah, completely dedicated to G-d, and G-d has chosen him or her to send a message to the Jewish people.

The Prophet was established as Prophet through consistently prophesying accurately (and one false prophesy or contradiction of the Torah, would result in a possible death penalty if convicted.)

Meditation

“Listening to you is like listening to G-d!”

Emulate G-d.

G-d lovingly created the world where air is free, water cheap, food a bit more difficult to attain, and clothing a little more difficult.

In other words, that which we need most is free, and only as our need lessens, the amount of effort required to get it increases – this is one of the millions of favors G-d has done free-of-charge for us.

We need to emulate G-d’s kindness, in being kind, compassionate, concerned, and loving towards everyone else, just like G-d does, free-of-charge, and with unconditional love.

Meditation

“I will be kind, gentle, giving, compassionate, caring, helpful, and good just like you.”

Cleave to the Rebbe / Tzaddikim.

This is achieved by studying the Torah (teachings) of the Rebbe / Tzaddik, and fulfilling his advice.

In every generation there is one leader whose interface with G-d is like Moses’s interface, and from Him we can study and understand what G-d’s desire for our generation is.

Meditation

“Cleaving to you is like cleaving to G-d!”

Love your friends.

Effectively we have been taught in Tanya (mainly chapter 32) that the path to loving everyone is by seeing the soul of everyone.

So although in an extreme case you may hate the evil in someone, nonetheless, you are always obligated to love the good, their pristine soul (which may sadly be covered over by grime and dirt, and is thus not apparent to the naked eye, like a diamond underground.)

Meditation

“You and I are the same.”

Love converts.

Over thirty times G-d mentions this Mitzvah in the Torah which underscores its great great significance.

Human nature is such that we take advantage of the weak (easy prey…)

However we should be cognizant that G-d takes up the cause of the oppressed, and no one should eever take on G-d…!

Meditation

“I understand and thus empathize with the difficulty of being a minority.”

Do not hate a friend (hold a grudge.)

This is the flipside of loving everyone.

There are two options if someone has given you reason to hate them: 1. forgive them in your heart, which is the higher way, and 2. confront them and tell them why you are upset with them.

Meditation

“I forgive everyone!”

Educate a person who is doing something wrong.

It is wrong to watch someone doing something wrong and not help them by not educating them.

Obviously this education must be done out of love, not with a sense of superiority or anger.

Meditation

“I will strive to educate every fellow man – in the most gentle caring way possible!”

Do not embarrass anyone (this includes family members.)

As this Mitzvah is a continuation of the previous Mitzvah, thus the sages deduce that moral education must be done in a way that the person realizes that you only want to help them such as saying, “I would like to tell you something only for your benefit….”

Meditation

“I will never embarrass anyone!”

Do not insult or hurt in any way a widow or an orphan.

As mentioned, human nature is to take advantage of the weak, however G-d’s nature is to take up the cause of the oppressed; so one must be super-careful when speaking to people who feel weaker, such as an orphan or a widow (as they lack a protector and thus feel alone and perhaps the same should be applied to a divorcee today…) To speak gently, kindly, compassionately, mercifully, and to never ever cause them any harm, pain, or sorrow.

Meditation

“I will be extra careful when dealing with a widow or an orphan in order to be extra kind, gentle, compassionate and loving.”

Do not take revenge.

We all want to settle a score, to rectify an injustice… to balance an inequality; however we would be far wiser to not let ourselves be sullied by getting into the dirt thrown at us – as our sages teach us, “one who argues with a dirty person gets dirty.”

Better to have a clean soul, then to get muddied and sullied in emulating an evil person or evil behavior.

Meditation

“I will never take revenge for I prefer a bruised ego than a bruised soul.”

Do not take Netirah

Netirah is helping someone who didn’t help you, yet telling them “Unlike you, I will help you.”

Again this allows our souls to be pure – free from blemishes and negative behavior.

Meditation

“I will never be rude to anyone – even one was rude to me.”

Study Torah – The Bible and its commentaries.

Studying Torah is a constant obligation on men when they have free time.

The minimum should be a morning and afternoon study session.

Women and girls need to at least study the Mitzvahs that are incumbent upon them to fulfill.

Meditation

“I am uniting with G-d through my study of Torah in a completely unified union.” (This meditation should be done hourly during Torah study.)

Respect ones Rabbi.

“One should have greater respect for one’s Rabbi, than for one’s father, for one’s father has given them life in this world, while one’s Rabbi is giving them life in the world to come,” the Sages.

This refers to the Rebbe – the Head-Rabbi of the generation.

Meditation

“I will respect my Rabbi, as I respect G-d.”

Mitzvahs That Express Our Love For G-d

Read the Shema in the morning and at night.

This is a very important Mitzvah, as the Alteh Rebbe teaches that the saying of Shema (and particularly meditating that you are prepared to die for G-d when you are saying it) is fundamental to all other Mitzvahs.

Shema in the morning must be said three hours after sunrise. (Check your local calendars for the correct time.)

Shema at night can be said anytime after nightfall.

The Shema prayer can be found in all Jewish prayer books.

Meditation

“I love you!”

Pray to G-d daily.

This Mitzvah specifically refers to asking G-d for your needs which reminds a man where everything actually comes from.

According to the Rambam, this must be done daily, and the Jewish prayer book has the liturgy composed by the sages and used by Jews for close to two thousand five hundred years! which articulate man’s needs.

This Mitzvah also applies to asking G-d for your needs whenever (and wherever) you feel stuck, and need help. (When you trust that G-d will give you what you need, it really works!)

Meditation

“I want to unite with you.”

The Cohanim should bless the Jewish people daily (as the custom is in Israel.)

The Cohanim are the decedents of Aharon, the brother of Moses whom have some extra duties mandated by Jewish law.

To put Teffilin on the head (on weekdays, but not during Shabbat and festivals, as Teffilin is a sign of G-d’s love which is anyway evident during the festivals.)

There are too many details as to what Kosher Teffilin are and how to put them on for this booklet, so the reader is advised to study this from other books or from a Rabbinic teacher.

This Mitzvah applies only to men and young men over Bar Mitzvah – thirteen years old.

Meditation

“I dedicate my thoughts to be exclusively about goodness and kindness.”

To wrap Teffilin on the Arm

There are too many details as to what Kosher Teffilin are and how to put them on for this booklet so the reader is advised to study this from other books or from a Rabbinic teacher. This Mitzvah applies only to men and young men over Bar Mitzvah – thirteen years old.

Meditation

“Thank you G-d for redeeming us from Egypt, and for your constant protection over all. I dedicate my emotions to be exclusively love to you and compassion towards others.”

Put a Mezuzah on doorposts

Every Jewish owned doorpost must have a Mezuzah which offers protection for all the inhabitants.

There are countless miracles, how when a Kosher Mezuzah was affixed to all the doorposts of a home, people were cured from terrible illnesses and other problems.

So a Mezuzah offers special protection and miraculous cures for those who affix them to their doorposts.

Every doorpost besides a bathroom and closet should have a Mezuzah affixed on the right hand side.

The right hand side is to the right of the doorway as the door opens – however when dealing with a front or back door, it is always to the right of the doorway – as you come into the home.

Meditation

“Thank you for protecting my home and its occupants!”

For every Jew to write a Sefer Torah [Torah Scroll] for himself (or at least own many Jewish books.)

Presumably this was one of the motivations behind the Rebbe’s campaign that every Jew should have many Jewish books in their home to read.

Meditation

“Thank you G-d for giving us Your wisdom.”

For the Jewish King to write a second Sefer Torah for himself

A Jewish Monarch needed to write (or commission) a Sefer Torah, which he would carry with him always.

Meditation

“Thank you G-d for establishing my Kingdom through justice, mercy, goodness, compassion, truth and honesty – the laws of the Torah.”

Place Tzitzis on garments with four corners.

This Mitzvah applies to men only.

Meditation

“Thank you G-d for reminding me to do the Mitzvahs which unite me with you.”

Say Grace / bentching after eating

Although the long bentching is packed with meaningful ideas, the fundamental point is that we are grateful to G-d “Who sustains the whole world.”

This is an important meditation, for we are removing ourselves as the “masters of the world” – as our own providers… – and realizing that it is in fact G-d who is providing for us.

G-d is responsible for our financial successes that allows us to eat.

Meditation for Grace following eating:

“Thank you G-d for giving me the financial ability to purchase food (for myself and my family.)”

Perform a Bris Milah / Circumcision on males on the eighth day (or afterwards when necessary.)

Meditation

“Thank you G-d for uniting my son (or “myself” if an adult is performing a Bris for himself) with You, in a permanent bond and union affixed on my body.”
(It should be noted, women are considered to be born in this holy union.)

Mitzvahs Relating To Time

Celebrate Shabbos
Do not work on Shabbos (which includes using electricity, writing, driving which all have a physical creative aspect to them which is what is meant by work.)
Do not walk outside of one’s city 2000 Amos (app. 3,000 feet.)
Honor Shabbos with words referring to the Kiddush we say when Shabbos comes in, and the Havdalah we say when Shabbos goes out.
Our Sages teach us that we should also honor the Shabbos by wearing nice clothing, and eating good food, which all contribute to the honor of Shabbos.

Obviously there are too many laws regarding how to celebrate Shabbos for this booklet, please refer to the many other Jewish books that go into greater detail.

Meditation

“Thank you G-d for the world which you created and for the peace, tranquility, and serenity within it.”

Do not work on Yom Kippur (this includes everything that we don’t do on Shabbos.)
To cause ourselves discomfort on Yom Kippur (which is done by not wearing leather shoes, not washing, not putting on perfume, and not having marital relations on Yom Kippur and most importantly, by not eating.)
Fast on Yom Kippur (from the evening prior to Yom Kippur Day, to nightfall of Yom Kippur.)

Meditation

“Thank you so much for this day in which my sins are erased and I begin anew.”

Celebrate – and don’t work on, Yom Tov; (The Jewish festivals, namely: Passover, Shavous, Rosh Hashanah and Sukkot; this include the first and last days of these festivals in Israel and by Rabbinic institution, the first two days and last two days in the Diaspora etc.)

All the laws that apply to Shabbos apply to Yom Tov, besides cooking from a preexisting flame, and carrying from a home into the street and vice versa both of which are permitted on Yom Tov.

Meditation

“Thank You G-d for this joyous festival.”

Do not eat Chametz (any product which contains flour that rose…) from the mid-fourteenth day of Nissan throughout Passover.
(For the exact timing you need to check in your local Jewish calendar.)

Meditation

“I am riding myself of all of my negative traits, particularly arrogance which is the source of all negative behaviors.”

Get rid of Chametz on the fourteenth day of Nissan.

This is done by a thorough cleaning of Chametz prior to the fourteenth day.

On the fourteenth day we burn any leftover Chametz and we nullify what we have not found (we decline ownership of all the Chametz we own in a verbal declaration.)

Meditation

“I am riding myself of all of my negative traits, particularly arrogance which is the source of all negative behaviors.”

Do not eat Chametz throughout Pesach.

Meditation

“I am ridding myself of all of my negative traits particularly arrogance which is the source of all negative behaviors.”

Do not eat any mixture which contains even the tiniest amount of Chametz in it, throughout Pesach.

Meditation

“I am ridding myself of all of my negative traits, particularly arrogance which is the source of all negative behaviors.”

You should not have any seen Chametz in your possession throughout the seven days of Pesach, (eight in the Diaspora.)
You should not own any Chametz throughout the seven days of Pesach (eight in the Diaspora.)
Eat Matzah during the Seder.

Meditation

“Please help me to always be humble.”

Retell the Pesach story (written in the Haggadah) at the Seder.

Meditation

“I will always remember that you are stronger than all the tyranny in the world, so I have nothing to fear.”

Count forty-nine days from the second night of Pesach until the festival of Shavuos.

This commemorates the Jewish people’s counting the forty-nine days from leaving Egypt until they received the Torah at Mount Sinai.

There is a very good book by Simon Jacobson called “Forty Nine Steps To Personal Refinement” which expresses the forty-nine major emotions that we have, and devises a way that people can refine them(selves.)

Meditation

“I will improve my disposition.”

Listen to the sound of the Shofar on Rosh Hashanah

We need to hear one hundred specific blasts from the Shofar on Rosh Hashanah.

Meditation

“The sound of the Shofar is like the trumpets coronating a King, and today we coronate You to be our King, Leader, Guide, Father.”

Eat and “reside” in the Sukkah during Sukkos

Meditation

“I am enveloped in a sea of Your glorious presence.”

Shake the Lulav and Esrog in the Beis Hamikdosh (and now also elsewhere) every day of the festival (except on Shabbos, by Rabbinic ordination.)

Meditation

“I am uniting with all Jews, all of whom are represented in these four species.”

Laws Relating To Unity Through Marriage

Marry a woman through a Kesuvah (marriage contract) and marriage ceremony (“as prescribed by the law of Moses and Israel.”)

There are too many details in the exact marriage procedure to enumerate here. The summery is that one must marry through an Orthodox Rabbi.

Meditation

“Thank you G-d for the privilege to unite exclusively with this woman.”

Do not have intercourse unless one is married according to Jewish Law.

In today’s age when people live together before marriage, people actually have far less experiences of marital intimacy and less pleasurable ones, for the mystique of intimacy in the healthy framework of a loving and committed marriage is not there : (

Meditation

“I will not have intercourse unless I am married.”

The husband’s basic duties to his wife according to the Bible, are to provide food, clothing and to have intercourse with his wife as often as is pleasing to both of them.

Meditation

“I will make my wife happy!”

A man and wife, may only have marital relations when she is not a niddah.

(Generally speaking this would be from the onset of menstruation and for approximately two weeks thereafter.

After the wife goes to the Mikvah (a pool-like ritual bath) they may reunite.

After a woman gives birth to a child there is a mandatory Niddah time of fourteen days (which also allows the woman to get back to herself…) and after she counts seven “clean” days, she may go to the Mikvah.

The seven clean days may be included in the fourteen days.

There are too many details to describe all the beautiful customs of this practical Mitzvah, but there are countless good Jewish books that you may study more, e.g. “The Secret Of Jewish Femininity.”)

Meditation

“We will only have marital intimacy in the method advised by the Bible!”

Have children from one’s wife

Specifically this refers to having one son and one daughter.

It should also be mentioned that birth control may only be used with specific Rabbinical permission, and people who only have two children, lose out on the greatest blessing in life, namely, children!

Having children fulfils our obligation to create the future generation!

Meditation

“Thank you G-d for the privilege to assist you in bringing a G-dly soul to earth.”

If unfortunately there is irreconcilable animosity, the husband may divorce his wife through a bill of divorce as prescribed in Jewish law. (Practically one must seek an Orthodox Rabbi’s help in the procedure.)

Divorce is frowned upon.

In this day and age when over fifty percent of marriages end in divorce, it is because the sanctity and holiness of marriage is not fully appreciated.

G-d designs whom marries whom, and thus every effort should be made for reconciliation in order to procure a harmonious relationship.

[Obviously if the wife has irreconcilable animosity she too can sue for divorce.

It should be noted that according to Jewish law, civil marriage as well as civil divorce have no sanctity whatsoever.]

If someone divorced his wife and she subsequently remarried, she may not remarry him afterwards.

In general it is a big Mitzvah for a divorced couple to remarry (with the proviso mentioned.)

The Torah is very clear that someone who does entice a woman into having intercourse with him before marriage is obligated to marry her.

Unfortunately this law has great relevance now, when so many people do sleep together before marriage.

It is the moral duty of the bachelor to marry his girlfriend as there is no question that the girlfriend desires marriage, children etc. which is her hope, and the reason she chose her boyfriend.

Meditation

“I will be a mentsh / decent human being.”

Mitzvahs Relating To Kashrus / Keeping Kosher

Kashrus is a very broad subject which we cannot treat adequately in this short primer.

Meditation When Shopping Or Eating Kosher

“Thank-You G-d for allowing me to elevate the sparks of holiness contained in this food to unite with you and thus elevate my soul as well.”

There is a mitzvah to not take chicks from the nest when the mother bird is watching, as this will undoubtedly cause her anguish.

If one does want to, or needs to take the chicks, s/he should send away the mother bird so it does not see and witness this pain.

This teaches us a profound lessen in G-d’s desire for us to be compassionate, caring and sensitive people.

Meditation when sending away the mother bird before taking its young from the nest.

“Thank you G-d for imbuing me your lessons of mercy, compassion, goodness and humaneness.”

Mitzvahs Relating To Promises

Do not swear using G-d’s name falsely.

For example, one should never say, “I swear to G-d that I will not speak to you again…” for then one must keep one’s promise.

(See further by annulment of vows.

In general one should never, “swear to G-d..!” for whatever has G-d’s name on it, must be true and permanent.

Religious Jews have a custom of always saying “Bli Neder,” “I will do something Bli Neder,” meaning without a vow, to not G-d-forbid infringe on their word, which is the hallmark of an honorable person.)

Do not swear using G-d’s name in vain

This can apply to someone who wishes to make a point like saying, “I swear to G-d that this stone is a rock….” As this is obvious, then G-d’s name was used in vain.

Do not deny if someone has given you something to watch or hold for them

As this person may not have proof, a person’s Yetzer Hara [evil inclination] may entice them to deny its existence and keep it for themselves.

Do not swear falsely, denying that you have received an object to watch or hold for someone.

Swear in G-d’s name honestly

By keeping G-d’s name sacred, not only do we respect G-d, but we create a system whereby we know that someone is telling the truth when they swear in G-d’s name.

Keep promises and pledges

Meditation

“By keeping my promises, I am a truthful person!”

Do not go back on your word (this includes if you verbally make a commitment to do a good thing; despite the fact that you have not committed to someone in particular.)
If a person has a commitment to charity or a pledge that they undertook that they cannot keep, they need to have the promise annulled, which can be facilitated by an Orthodox Rabbi or a Talmudic scholar.

Meditation when annulling a vow

“Thank you G-d for allowing me to keep the sanctity, sacredness, and honor of my words, by officially annulling my promise and not ignoring it.”

Mitzvahs Relating To Planting

Don’t graft seeds

In other words, do not create any new product due to grafting, like the seeds of two fruits to create a third kind, or breeding a donkey and a horse to create a mule.

In G-d’s intention for creation, everything should not only live but be capable of bearing offspring as well…

Those species which are grafted cannot have offspring.

Do not plow with an ox and a donkey together.

As the donkey is slower than the ox, thus it is constantly being pushed along which causes it anguish (imagine someone who is faster than you and who is attached to you and is walking quicker than you can…)

Again, we see the compassion, gentleness, humaneness, and mercy which G-d desires for His Holy People.

Do not wear clothing, where wool and linen have been sown together.

This mitzvah is a chok / the reason is known to G-d alone.

In the agricultural society of ancient Israel, the primary way of charity was through the giving of crops to the less fortunate, thus we find many Mitzvahs enabling the poor to receive sustenance.

Although many of these Mitzvahs do not apply to us today, I have included some with mediations, for the morals and the ethics they teach are eternally valuable.

Leave the corner of your field for the poor

Meditation