The אור החיים questions the necessity of the double language, “speak to Aaron and say to him”. Why say the same thing twice with different words?
The Midrash tells us that the reason the section that deals with the Menorah is next to the section that dealt with the inauguration of the Mishkan was that when Aaron saw how all the leaders of the other tribes inaugurated the Mishkan, and he and his tribe didn't, he felt bad. Hashem said to him, don't worry; what you will do is greater than what they are doing. You will get to prepare and light the wicks.
The אור החיים asks how does this pacify Aaron? What does the Menorah have to do with the inauguration of the Mishkan? Additionally, he did so much more than any other leader. He was the one who brought all the sacrifices. He brought the ketores and he even brought the sacrifices of the other leaders. Why was it only the menorah that appeased him?
The אור החיים answers that the way the Menorah was cleaned and lit every day was that the lamp holder where the wick and oil went was taken off the menorah and brought into the Ohel to be cleaned and refilled. It was then reconnected to the Menorah. In essence, Aaron was inaugurating the Menorah every time he cleaned and relit it. For this reason the Menorah pacified him because he was inaugurating the Menorah every day whereas the leaders only inaugerated the mizbaiach once. That's why the double lashon דבר אל אהרןspeak to Aaron and tell him what he needs to know to perform the mitzvah, ואמרת אליו, and say to him how his service is greater in order to revive his spirit.
What is so important about the lighting of the Menorah that it needed an inauguration every day?
Once רב ישראל סלנטר walked out of his beis medrishin the middle of the night. As he walked he passed by the home of the shoemaker. He noticed that there was a light shining through the shoemakers window. Reb Yisroel walked in and found the shoemaker hunched over his table working on a shoe by the light of the candle. Reb Yisroel asked him, why are you working so late at night? The shoemaker answered, Rebbi, as long as the candle is still burning I have to take advantage and continue to work and fix the shoes.
Reb Yisroel told this story over to his students and added, I learned a great thing from the shoemaker. We know that the soul of a person is compared to a flame. As long as the candle of a person is still burning, i.e. as long as one is alive, one must continue to work and fix oneself.
Perhaps this is why the Menorah needed this special inauguration every day. It was to remind the people that we must work on ourselves every day, and as long as the flame is still burning inside of us we have another chance each day to rebuild ourselves and reconnect to the flame of the Torah!
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