Gen 49:29

“נאסף אל עמי [I AM] TO BE GATHERED UNTO MY PEOPLE — The expression נאסף “gathered” is used here because the souls are taken into a place in heaven where they are to be laid by. אסף in the Hebrew language has sometimes the meaning of “bringing something in to a place where it is to be kept” as e.g., (Judges 19:15) “For there was no man that took them into his house (אסף) [to lodge]”; (Deuteronomy 22:2) “then thou shalt bring it home (ואספתו) into thy house”; (Leviticus 23:39) “when you have taken in (באספכם) the fruit of the land” — which means bringing them in to the barn on account of the rain; (Exodus 23:16) “when thou hast taken in (באספך) thy labours”. So, too, the verb אסף used in connection with death always means “bringing in to the place where the souls are to be laid by”. אל אבתי means with my fathers.”

“BURY ME ‘EL AVOTHAI.’ With my fathers. This is the language of Rashi. However, Rashi did not explain the expression el hame’arah as meaning ‘with’ the cave. in the second expression could not mean “with,” which confronts us with the difficulty of having the same word assume different meanings in the same verse. Ramban will suggest various ways of resolving this difficulty. It is possible that the expression of this verse is concise [and should be understood as if it said], “Bury me and carry me to my fathers to the cave,” for so Jacob said, And thou shalt carry me out from Egypt, and it further says, And his sons carried him. It is possible that the word el serves here to indicate many meanings: Bury me ‘with’ my fathers, just as in the verse, And thou shalt not take a woman ‘el’ her sister, meaning “with her sister.” El hame’arah means “in the cave,” just as in the verses: ‘Ve’el’ (And in) the ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give thee; Behold, he hath hidden himself ‘el’ (among) the baggage. Of similar usage is the expression, And after this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife ‘el’ (in) the cave. Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra said that the meaning of the expression, Bury me (bury me) is in the plural form. with my fathers, is that the brothers should go with Joseph. Now Jacob really did not need to do that. However, he now commanded all of them to bury him in the cave, just as he had sworn Joseph, because he feared that Pharaoh might not give Joseph permission to leave the land lest he remain in his land [Canaan]. Do you not see that it was necessary for Joseph to plead with the house of Pharaoh that they should request Pharaoh to let him go, and he answered, Go up, and bury thy father, as he made thee swear,, Verse 6. as he agreed to it only on account of the oath!”