“Oil for lighting, spices for the anointing oil and for the incense of spices” (Sh’mos 25:6). The Tosafists (e.g. Da’as Z’kaynim, Hadar Z’kaynim, Moshav Z’kaynim, B’chor Shor, Sefer HaGan, Chizkuni, R’ Chayim Paltiel) ask why these three things are included in the list of items to be donated for the Mishkan if the list only consists of materials needed for the structure itself (and the clothing), but not for the service done in the Mishkan. After all, none of the animals brought as offerings are included in this list, nor is the grain needed for the meal offerings or for the “bread of faces” (Lechem HaPanim), nor is the wood used as fuel for the fire. Why are the materials needed for these three things included?

The anointing oil being included does not pose as much of a problem, many of them add, as the vessels — and the structure itself — had to be anointed before being eligible for the service (see 30:22-29); the materials needed for the anointing could therefore be said to be part of the needs of the structure. [Some of the Tosafists also feel that the spices for the incense present less of a problem, as they “need workers” (which I understand to mean that they are not just a “raw material,” as making them into usable spices takes much work and expertise), so it’s as if they were also “built.” They add that incense was necessary before G-d’s “divine presence” could fill the Mishkan, since it was “within the cloud” of the burning incense that He “appeared on the Ark’s cover” (Vayikra 16:2).] The concept of something that is needed for the building to be considered usable qualifying as being materials needed for the structure itself is extended to include the spices for the incense, since a structure fit for a king — and certainly for the King of kings — has to have a pleasant smell, and to the oil for lighting, since a dark structure isn’t fitting for the King of kings (even if He Himself doesn’t need any light to be able to “see”). Nevertheless, even if this enables these materials to be included in the list, that doesn’t seem to warrant having to include them in it. Why were these items, which fall more under the category of “materials needed for things done in the Mishkan” than “materials needed to build the Mishkan,” included in the list of materials needed for the actual building of the Mishkan and its vessels?

There are other issues in this verse that deserve a closer look as well. First of all, although “oil for lighting” is mentioned, oil for anointing is not (only “spices for the anointing oil,” but not the oil itself). [Although some of the Tosafists address this issue as well, saying that the word “oil” applies to both, with the verse read as “spices should be added to the same oil used for lighting to make the anointing oil,” this is not the easiest way to read the verse.] Secondly, the specific spices needed for the anointing oil and for the incense are not mentioned, only the category of “spices.” The different types of dyed wool (blue, purple, red) are listed, not just the category of “dyed wool.” Why aren’t each of the spices needed listed separately as well? How would the nation know which spices to donate if they weren’t specified?

The items on this list were donated by “those whose heart gave willingly” (25:2; see https://rabbidmk.wordpress.com/2010/02/18/parashas-terumah-5770/), as opposed to being given in order to fulfill an obligation. However, the “oil for lighting,” whose inclusion in this list indicates that it also must be donated voluntarily, is mentioned elsewhere (27:20) as being “commanded,” indicating that it’s an obligation for it be given. This is reiterated the third time oil for lighting is mentioned (Vayikra 24:2), where it is also “commanded.” As I have previously discussed (https://rabbidmk.wordpress.com/2012/03/01/parashas-tetzaveh-5772/), the purpose of the second mention was to inform Moshe that he will, at some future point, tell the nation that they must provide extra-pure olive oil for the Menorah, whereas the third mention is when Moshe was told to actually relay the commandment to the nation that they must provide extra-pure olive oil. That third commandment, though, was communicated to Moshe in the Mishkan, after it was already built and operating, including the Menorah having already been lit “from evening to morning.” It would therefore seem that until then the Menorah was lit using oil that had been donated before Moshe commanded the nation to provide more.

When the details of the Mishkan were taught to Moshe, he was told that the oil for the Menorah had to be extra-pure olive oil, but that he shouldn’t tell the nation this until later (“you shall” in the future, but not now, “command the Children of Israel,” the second mention of the oil for lighting). Instead, he should just tell them that one of the things needed for the Mishkan was “oil for lighting” (the first mention), so that not only would the donation be completely voluntary, but the kind of oil donated would also be voluntary. And they donated the highest quality oil, extra-pure olive oil. Once the original donation (including the quality of the donation) was done voluntarily, Moshe could then tell the nation that it would always have to be only the highest quality oil for the Menorah (the third mention).

Even though “oil for lighting” had to be listed as one of the items to be donated so that it would be donated voluntarily (at least initially), if it had no connection to the building process, it wouldn’t belong in the list. However, since having the Menorah lit was a requirement of the structure itself, it could be included. And once the “oil for lighting” was included based on this criteria, the anointing oil and the incense, which had similar criteria, had to be included too. (After all, if the “oil for lighting” was included based on it being needed for the structure, how could materials that filled similar needs not be included as well?) Nevertheless, since the reason for mentioning these three things was to be able to include the oil for lighting, there was no need to mention every ingredient of the other two; including them by simply mentioning them without detailing which specific spices were used (and that oil was used in the anointing oil, which was obvious) was all that was necessary. Eventually, Moshe told the nation which spices to donate (30:22-38). For now, though, mentioning them in a general sense in order to be consistent with mentioning the oil for lighting was enough.

[It is possible that for a similar reason the types of precious stones needed weren’t specified either, as the point was for them to be included in the list of items donated voluntarily. This way, when the Nesi’im realized that they were wrong for waiting to donate to the Mishkan (see Rashi on 35:27, see also page 2 of www.aishdas.org/ta/5764/vayakhel.pdf), there would still be something left for them to donate.]