ועמודיו עשרים, “and its pillars twenty.” The Torah fails to mention the raw material these pillars were made of. Presumably, we are to deduce this by comparing them to other pillars, such as the ones at the entrance to the Sanctuary, and the pillars that supported the dividing curtain. These were all made from acacia wood, expressly stated. (26,32) Also the fact that these pillars were overlaid with silver is not mentioned here, although it is mentioned in Parshat Vayakhel, (36,36)

ואתה תצוה, “and you are to issue instructions, etc.” Moses has not been mentioned by name in this portion, seeing that he had said to G’d that He should erase his name from His Book. (Exodus 32,32) Although Moses had said this conditionally, i.e. if G’d were to kill the Jewish people as punishment for the sin of the golden calf, we have a rule that a curse of a sage, even if uttered only as something conditionally, is taken by G’d at face value. (Zohar Chadash, 60) Other commentators explain the absence of the mention of Moses’ name here as due to the subject matter following being the priestly garments of Aaron, the High Priest. Originally, Moses himself had been slated to be the High Priest. The fact that this honour was now being given to Aaron, might have produced a certain amount of regret on Moses’ part if he had heard his name mentioned as being part of transferring this rank to his brother. To forestall as much as possible any feelings of sorrow on Moses’ part, the Torah referred to him anonymously. After the Torah had completed its instructions about the building of the Tabernacle, it gave directives concerning the illumination that was to be part of the daily service in the Sanctuary. The reason that the Torah mentions the priesthood of Aaron at this juncture, is because he was the one who would attend to lighting the menorah on a regular basis. Seeing that the Torah had already revealed the status of Aaron as the High Priest, it continued by describing the special garments to be worn by the High Priest when he was not inside the Sanctuary. This is also the logical place when the details of the golden altar, the altar on which the incense was offered are described another task performed by Aaron both in the morning and in the afternoon of every day. It was important to inform us that the golden altar did not serve the purpose of sprinkling the blood of sacrificial animals upon it.

ואתה תצוה, according to Ibn Ezra, Moses was to issue a directive to the community of the Jewish people at large, to provide top quality olive oil for the lamps on the menorah. The community at large was similarly instructed to donate the funds for the mandatory daily communal offerings, described in the Torah by G’d as קרבני לחמי, ”My offering, My food.” (Numbers 28,2) Nachmanides writes that seeing that in connection with the donations of the materials for the Tabernacle the Torah had constantly added the word: ועשית, “you are to make out of it, etc.,” so here too the idea of determining which oil qualified for lighting the menorah was not left to the good judgment of the community at large, but the Torah writes ויקחו אליך, “they will present it to you,” i.e. you will then examine it if it measures up to the required degree of refinement. One of the reasons the Torah did not leave the refining of this oil up to each individual Israelite, was that they did not possess the tools to refine the oil to that degree. They could only donate what they had taken with them out of Egypt, if it had remained in good condition. In fact, the princes brought the kind of refined olive oil fit for kindling the menorah. The meaning of the words את בני ישראל, [if they did not have such oil, was Moses to command people who did not have it to bring it as a contribution? Ed.] is that Moses himself was to accept from the Israelites whatever grade of olive oil they were willing to donate for the cause. The words are to be understood in the same way as the opening line in Parshat Terumah, מאת כל איש אשר ידבנו לבו, “from every person whose generous heart moves him to donate, etc.”

ויקחו אליך, “they shall take it to you,” i.e. for your benefit, seeing you are charged with the task of having the Tabernacle constructed, G’d is at pains to make clear that if the Israelites were not going to provide oil for the menorah, He, being G’d, certainly did not need them to illuminate any space for Him, seeing that He is the source of all illumination. In fact, after the Tabernacle was erected, it was found that the light of the menorah inside the windowless Sanctuary provided illumination also for the surrounding area.

להעלות נר תמיד, “to kindle on a permanent basis.” According to Rashi when a light burns all night long, it is considered as burning תמיד, i.e. all the time that there is a need for it. Rashi’s proof is derived from the expression עולת תמיד in Numbers 28,7 which cannot mean that such a burnt offering was being burned up on the altar on an ongoing basis, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, but meant that it was a regular sacrifice, offered on a daily basis, one in the morning and one in the evening. Other commentators understand the word תמיד as meaning that the other lamps on the six arms of the menorah were to be kindled by drawing on the already kindled נר מערבי, the lamp on the central shaft of the menorah. That particular lamp was kept alight around the clock.

מערב עד בוקר, “from evening until morning.” This is an instruction to supply sufficient oil to each of the lamps to enable it to keep burning all night long without need for a refill of oil. The amount of oil provided was a constant, i.e. half a log, however allowance was made for the nights being longer in the winter by providing thinner or thicker wicks in accordance with the seasonal factors involved.