The Menorah and its allusions.
The Ohr Hachaim explains these pessukim in greater detail.
First, the Torah writes that they were to bring the pure oil אֵלֶּיךָ – to you. This had a special connection to Moshe Rabbeinu and his needs. The Gemara explains the possuk that the Menorah was to be lit מִחוץ לַפָּרֹּכֶּת הָּעֵדֻת – outside of the curtain of the witness. The Menorah serves as a witness that Hashem rests His Shechina among Klal Yisroel.
Chazal also say that the scoffers of the generation laughed at Moshe Rabbeinu, saying that the Shechina would never rest on Moshe’s work. When the Menorah was lit, all of Klal Yisroel saw that Moshe’s work was accepted on High and that Hashem would accept his handiwork.
Although the Shechina came on the First of Nissan and showed Klal Yisroel that Hashem was happy with Moshe’s handiwork, they were still unsure that it would last. It was Moshe’s responsibility and wish that the Menorah be lit every day, as Hashem commanded. This was Moshe’s private business, and the oil was to be brought to him.
The Ohr Hachaim adds another explanation for this parsha. The Zohar writes that Klal Yisroel will be redeemed from each of the four exiles in a different merit. The first exile, from Mitzrayim, was ended in the merit of Avraham Avinu, the second in the merit of Yitzchok, the third in the merit of Yaakov, and the fourth in the merit of Moshe Rabbeinu.
This is the reason the fourth exile has been taking so long. Moshe, the one who taught us Torah, does not wish to redeem a nation that is not fully occupied with Torah.
The Torah says וְאַתָּה תְצַוֶּה אֶּת בְנֵי יִשְרָּאֵל – and you shall command the Children of Yisroel. This is similar to the possuk that says כִי מַלְאָּכָּיו יְצַוֶּה לָּךְ - For He will command His angels concerning you. In this explanation, it is the angels that are commanding. Chazal say, the word צַו – command, is an expression of monarchy. Moshe will be our King, he will come and redeem us, but we need to learn his Torah.
That is why the Torah tells us וְיִקְחו אֵלֶּיךָ שֶּׁמֶּן זַיִת זָּךְ, which alludes to the Torah. The Torah is an oil that lights up the world, if it is pure. The Torah is pure and lights up the world forever.
But the person who busies himself with Torah must do so with purity, he may not do so with a mind to lord it over others or to build his own career.
It must also be כָּתִית – pressed. A person must be ready to be pressed and hurt, suffering difficulty and want, and traveling great distances in order to learn Torah. As the Torah says זֹּאת הַתוֹרָּה אָּדָּם כִי יָּמות בְאֹּהֶּל – this is the Torah, a man that will die in a tent. This alludes to the idea that a person who wishes to understand Torah, must be ready to kill himself.
All of this must be done לַמָּאוֹר– for light. Nowadays, we are in exile and living under the light of the moon, which is the smaller light. When they light the olive oil, they are to have in mind that this would increase the light in the world, bringing the level of light up to that of the great lamp in the sky, which is the sun.
This is what the Torah says לְהַעֲלֹת נֵר תָּמִיד – to lift up the light constantly. The light from the Torah and future redemption will be constant, it will not be interrupted by any more exiles.
