Komentarz do Wyjścia 30:32

לא ייסך with two “yods” has the meaning “he shall not do something” (i. e. it is 3rd person masc. sing. Kal), similar to ייטב in (Deuteronomy 6:18) “that it may be well (ייטב) with thee”.

קדש הוא, "it is holy." This refers to the quantity being sacred. Even if the oil would be compounded of materials not listed here, i.e. something altogether profane, a combination of components in the quantities mentioned here would make it "sacred" in the sense of "forbidden." Anyone concocting such a mixture would be as guilty as a layman offering a total offering or sin-offering on his own behalf. If all such a person wanted to do was to train himself in the art of making such compositions, or in order to donate it to the community, this is permissible as we learned in Keritut 5.

ובמתכנתו, corresponding to the proportions of the various ingredients listed here.

In proportion to the measure of a hin of oil. . . Explanation: Had Scripture written only ובמתכנתו , we would think that if he made it with the weight of these spices, he is liable even if he decreased or increased in proportion to a hin of oil. Therefore it is written also לא תעשו כמוהו , to say that if he decreased or increased [the weight of these spices] he is not liable.

לא ייסך, “it shall not be poured;” an unusual formulation, meaning the same as if it had been spelled לא יוסך. We encounter a similar pattern in Genesis 50,26 in connection with Joseph’s temporary burial in Egypt, where the Torah reports that his remains were preserved in a casket, by writing: ויישם בארון במצרים, “he was placed in a casket in Egypt,” instead of writing: ויושם.

על בשר אדם לא ייסך UPON MAN’S FLESH SHALL IT NOT BE POURED — anything from that selfsame oil (which Moses had prepared).

The wording: "it is holy and it shall remain holy" may have yet another meaning. The words "it is sacred" refer to the oil for anointing made by Moses; it possessed an additional degree of holiness in that any private person using it to smear it on himself would be guilty of Karet. The Talmud understands the words "from it" in verse 33 as referring to the oil of anointing prepared by Moses. Any oil for anointing prepared by somebody other than Moses would not be forbidden on pain of this harsh penalty. The words "it will be holy," refer to such mixtures which would be prepared in the future. Unless such oil for anointing conformed to the exact measurements or weights as mentioned here, the user would not face any penalty. Had the Torah not written ממנו "from it," this would not have sufficed as I would have concluded that unless one smeared one's whole body with such oil one would not be guilty of the penalty threatened by the Torah.

ובמתכנתו לא תעשו כמהו AND ACCORDING TO ITS PROPORTION YE SHALL NOT MAKE ANY LIKE IT — In regard to the quantities of its spices ye shall not make any other oil like it — i. e. in regard to the weights of these spices in proportion to the measure of a hin of oil; but if one uses less or more of these spices in proportion to the measure of a hin of oil, it is permitted to do so. And even if it is made in the same proportions as this (the oil made by Moses) it is not the one who anoints himself with it that is punishable (for this applies only to one who anoints himself with the oil made by Moses) but he who compounds it (Keritot 5a).

Our sages in Keritut 6 derive from the wording of this verse that the oil for anointing had to be prepared in a holy area. If they would be right, the Torah should have written such a provision where it formulated the commandment not where it only threatened the penalty. We may therefore conclude that the sages in the Talmud do not really mean that their ruling has Biblical force; they only looked for some hint in the written text to drive home their point. Presumably, they had a tradition concerning this requirement to prepare the oil for anointing on holy ground. Our explanation follows the plain meaning of the text.

ובמתכנתו is a term denoting amount, as (Exodus 5:8) “the quantity (מתכנת) of bricks”. Similar is the word מתכנת used of the incense (v. 37).