“Know that the Lord is God” (Psalms 100:3) – Rabbi Yehuda bar Simon and Rabbi Aḥa, Rabbi Yehuda bar Simon said: “Know that the Lord is God, He made us, and we did not [velo]” (Psalms 100:3) create ourselves, unlike Pharaoh, who said: “My river is mine and I made myself” (Ezekiel 29:3). Rabbi Aḥa said: “Know that the Lord is God, He made us and to Him [velo]” we devote ourselves.1The word velo can be written with an alef, in which case it means “and not,” or it can be written with a vav, in which case it means “and to Him.”
Traditionally, the word velo in this verse is written with an alef but read as though it is written with a vav. Rabbi Yehuda’s interpretation is based on the spelling with an alef and Rabbi Aḥa’s interpretation is based on the spelling with a vav. “Jacob concluded commanding his sons, he drew his feet to the bed, and he expired, and he was gathered to his people” (Genesis 49:33). “Jacob concluded commanding his sons” – three commands were stated regarding the matter:2This phrase means that there are three verses (Genesis 49:29, 33, 50:12) that describe Jacob’s commands to his sons.
The midrash will interpret this to mean that he issued three distinct commands, as explained in the next paragraph. Some commentaries assert that this phrase should not appear here in the text but rather at the beginning of the next paragraph, where the midrash explains what the three commands were (Matnot Kehuna; Yefeh To’ar). “He commanded them and said to them: I am to be gathered to my people” (Genesis 49:29) – if you merit for yourselves, you will merit me.3If you fulfill what I command, I will always be with you.
If not, when I depart from the world, I will go to my fathers, as it is stated: “I am to be gathered to my people” (Genesis 49:29). When he departed, immediately: “His sons did to him just as he commanded them” (Genesis 50:12) – they embalmed him and took him up [to Canaan] in his bier.