Maximum Effort

The last of the curses on Mount Eival says that cursed is the man who will not fulfill this Torah. This seems to be a summary of the various sins enumerated that were done in secret.

Rabbi Elie Munk has a little different take to this Pasuk. It is meant to be a charge to every individual, regardless of his station in society, to try to reach his full potential.

He begins with the king, who is the highest ranking member of the Jewish world, to the עם הארץ, the ignorant, unlearned member of society.

The Talmid Chacham is included in this list, as he has an important role to play in teaching Torah and setting an example of ethics and morality.

It seems that the Torah is saying that one who doesn’t give his strongest effort, and doesn’t use his abilities to the maximum, will have definite accountability.

It is another way of saying, אדם לעמל יולד, that man was created to struggle. The time for taking it easy is in the next world. In this world, we need to be the best that we can be.