Our parsha ends with a complex story. A man who was the son of and Israelite woman and an Egyptian man goes out from the camp of Israel, and blasphemously utters the Name of HaShem. The punishment for this shocking act was not specified until this chapter (and this could be because of the great severity of the deed, as HaRav Shimshon Rafael Hirsh wrote: "The reason for this depends, apparently, on the severity of this crime… the Torah did not want to mention that this was possible until it was perpetrated in Israel. And indeed, only one whose character was influenced by Egyptian blood committed this crime").
 

Moshe asks HaShem (regarding this man's sentence) and receives the answer: "And one who blasphemously pronounces the Name of HaShem shall be put to death – all the congregation will stone him. The (same law applies to) the convert and the resident - if he blasphemies the Name of HaShem he will be put to death."
 

However, when we read further, we encounter something strange. After the description of the execution of the sentence, the Torah adds a sentence which seems superfluous: "And Moshe spoke to B'nei Israel and they took the blasphemer out of the camp and stoned him with stones, and B'nei Israel did as HaShem commanded Moshe."
 

And the question arises: the carrying out of the sentence as HaShem commanded has already been documented, so why is it necessary to add "and B'nei Israel did as HaShem commanded Moshe" - especially since in contrast to other places where the Torah suffices with concluding with the words "as HaShem commanded Moshe", here the Torah incorporates them in an new, independent sentence, separate from the description of the execution of the verdict?
 

Chazal and the commentators took notice of this issue, and offered several approaches to explain this. The Ramban writes at length and gives a number of answers to this question, and his last answer highlights a great and important principle:
 

"And this appears to me to be the correct (interpretation), as the Torah first described the stoning and afterwards added "and B'nei Israel did" - that the reason is: when Moshe spoke to B'nei Israel, they immediately took out the blasphemer and stoned him, and all of B'nei Israel did this to keep and to perform as HaShem commanded Moshe, and (their motivation was not) out of hatred toward the son of the Egyptian who fought with the Israelite, but rather to eradicate that which was flawed within them."
 

According to the Ramban, the Torah places great importance on stressing that B'nei Israel did not stone the blasphemer out of personal hatred because of his deed, but that everything they did was only in order to keep and to do the Word of HaShem, and to eradicate that which was flawed.
 

Why is this so important? Ostensibly, it doesn't matter what was the reason for which B'nei Israel performed the Word of HaShem – in the end, the important thing is that the Mitzvah was done, and the intention is only a ma'alah (virtue) of kavanah lishmah (having pure intention when doing the Mitzvah).
 

We can offer several answers to this question, but I want to focus here on one aspect. There is great importance not only on the question of what one does but also on the question of why he does it. This distinction affects not only the present - the quality of the act being done at this moment - but it also exercises a very great and practical influence in the future.

Two people who are now doing the same act together, but for different reasons, can potentially act radically differently from each other under different circumstances, in accordance with their original motivations.
 

This week, we experienced a powerful example of this principle.
 

A large segment of Am Israel expressed its great difficulty regarding celebrating Yom HaAtzmaut as in the past. (Translator's note: These words were written during the first months of the war which broke out with the Simchat Torah massacre and abduction of hostages.) However, the religious (Zionist) community as a whole was not plagued with doubt over the question of whether we should celebrate or not. Why?   
 

Evidently the answer lies in the basic assumption that two parts of the nation, one which believes in HaShem, His Providence, His purpose for the world and the prophecies of His prophets, and in contrast, those who (to our great sorrow) are disconnected from this, celebrate the same holiday. 
 

Indeed, in "normal" years, both celebrate Yom HaAtzmaut with great festivity. However, their motives are completely different, and therefore the nature of the day for each segment is entirely different.
 

For those who still haven't had the fortune to connect with their faith, for many of them this day can be summed up with the words: 'We have a state! Hooray! Let's celebrate!' The nature of the day does not include a broad perspective and connection with the past, the future and the purpose. Therefore, at a time of pain and difficulty, many feel that now 'it isn't appropriate' to celebrate.

However, for those whose faith is unshakable, this is a day of giving thanks to the Shepherd of Israel and the ingatherer of their exiles, for our redemption and salvation from the bitter diaspora, for the redress of the desecration of His great Name and for the realization of His wondrous words which were transmitted through His servants the prophets, as the path toward the consummation of our spiritual preparation as a kingdom of Kohanim and a holy nation, which renovates the world in the Kingdom of His name. When the essence of the day is thanking from the depths of our hearts, this naturally brings us to direct our thoughts in a broader perspective – from whence did we come and to where we are going. From this vantage point, the very question of whether or not to commemorate this day even at a time of pain becomes irrelevant and even seems illogical.
 

This is true at the personal level as well: one whose conduct is compatible with HaShem's will because his current life situation is such that this is convenient for him at this moment – is liable to lose his direction entirely when conditions change.

From this we learn the great importance of serving HaShem with our hearts, to strive not to suffice only with doing the proper deeds, but to instill in our hearts more and more desire to fulfill HaShem's will, until we will merit, with G-d's help, speedily and with all of Am Israel, to serve Him with joy and goodness of heart, and that all of our deeds will be for the sake of Heaven.

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