כָּל־גֶּיא֙ יִנָּשֵׂ֔א וְכָל־הַ֥ר וְגִבְעָ֖ה יִשְׁפָּ֑לוּ וְהָיָ֤ה הֶֽעָקֹב֙ לְמִישׁ֔וֹר וְהָרְכָסִ֖ים לְבִקְעָֽה׃
Setiap lembah akan ditinggikan, dan setiap gunung dan bukit akan direndahkan; yang berliku-liku akan menjadi tanah datar, dan yang berbukit-bukit menjadi dataran.
Kedushat Levi
In light of the above we can now also understand the verse in Isaiah 40,4, where the prophet speaks of messianic times, והיה העקוב למישור, usually translated as “and what has been bent out of shape will be straightened out.” Nachmanides quotes this verse of Isaiah in his commentary on the verse of the Torah above. He understands the word as equivalent to סבה, the cause of future developments.
Onkelos understands the word עקב positively, i.e. compensation for merits acquired under difficult circumstances. In other words, if the Jewish people observe the Torah’s commandments even when in exile, when it is so much more difficult to observe these commandments, the eventual reward will be commensurate with the difficulties experienced in exile. The word עקוב is an apt description for the difficulties facing the Jewish people who want to remain or again become faithful to the Torah while in exile. When something is twisted around and around, making it next to impossible to get to what is within, this describes the obstacles faced by Jews in exile when they want to observe the Torah. Part of the reward for people observing the Torah while in exile, when they do so out of pure faith, not knowing if and when the redemption will come, will be that when the redemption does come, they will be able to perform the Torah without difficulty as the messiah will have taught them the reason behind all the commandments. Isaiah 40,4 therefore alludes to exactly the same phenomenon that Moses alluded to in our verse above.
Onkelos understands the word עקב positively, i.e. compensation for merits acquired under difficult circumstances. In other words, if the Jewish people observe the Torah’s commandments even when in exile, when it is so much more difficult to observe these commandments, the eventual reward will be commensurate with the difficulties experienced in exile. The word עקוב is an apt description for the difficulties facing the Jewish people who want to remain or again become faithful to the Torah while in exile. When something is twisted around and around, making it next to impossible to get to what is within, this describes the obstacles faced by Jews in exile when they want to observe the Torah. Part of the reward for people observing the Torah while in exile, when they do so out of pure faith, not knowing if and when the redemption will come, will be that when the redemption does come, they will be able to perform the Torah without difficulty as the messiah will have taught them the reason behind all the commandments. Isaiah 40,4 therefore alludes to exactly the same phenomenon that Moses alluded to in our verse above.
Likutei Moharan
This is the explanation of: And he buried him in a valley (Deut. 34) — this is like nothingness, as is written (Isa. 40): Every valley shall be exalted; in the land of Moab this is like Malkhut, as David comes from Moab, since Moshe passed away into the Infinite, into the Will of Wills, into the Ra`awah d’Ra`awin, which is like the will of the Infinite that is clothed in the wills, in the images of the letters, in the aspect of Malkhut, as they said: Wherever you find His greatness, i.e. Malkhut, like wills, there you find the will, the Will of the Infinite One.