“Behold I set before you today a blessing and a curse” (Devarim 11:26)

However lest the Jewish People say “Since Hashem set before us two ways the way of life and the way of death we will go in whichever we want to”; it then states “Therefore choose life.”

This is comparable to a person who sits at a crossroads with two paths before him. One path begins smoothly and ends in thorns and the other begins in thorns and ends smoothly. Thus said Moshe to the Jewish People: “You see the wicked — they’re successful for a few years. They’re successful in this world but their end is to be rejected.” (Midrash Yalkut Shimoni)

We’re ready to walk any road in life even if it’s steep or sun-scorched even if the signposts are worn and unclear. Except for a road that’s thorny.

The Path of Life begins with thorns — with the discomfort and distress that’s involved in breaking our natural inclination. But if we persist past the thorns … we merit a path of ascent to eternal life in Hashem’s Presence.

What do the thorns symbolize? The most sensitive part of our presonality. The obstacle that is hardest for us to overcome. We’re ready to work to strive but we each have one sensitive spot that we are not prepared to touch.

“I’ll do anything” says Shira “Just don’t ask me to be nice to my next-door-neighbor.”

“Anything” nods Aviva “I’ll eat bread with salt drink only water and wear rags. Just don’t ask me to give up my cleaning lady.”

“Absolutely anything” agrees Rikki. “But I can’t stand being told what to do not even by my husband.”

We are all willing to put in eighty-five percent effort. But not one hundred. There’s always one place that we are not willing to try. Not that. That’s too hard. That’s too much.

To merit strength we have to discover the evil source that’s preventing our success. It’s human nature to want to cast off anything that’s burdensome. We all want to live easily and comfortably.

To live easily and comfortably? Who lives comfortably? I take on extra hours of work. I schlep home heavy bags of groceries. Who has an easy life? Not anyone with a teething baby like mine.

Yet all those issues are still considered easy and comfortable compared with the need to work on a person’s weak point. Anything that doesn’t require breaking one’s natural will isn’t in the category of strength. That’s a person’s entire purpose to wage war against his nature and conquer it.

We’ve become resigned. “That’s just the way I am” we say in despair. Everyone knows his weak points and learns to live with them. We target other important mitzvos on our list. Sometimes we focus on honoring our parents; other times we work on tefillah. Occasionally we try to focus on chesed or tzniyus. We’re full of good will and our efforts are holy.

But we turn a blind eye to the one spot that really requires hard work. We try to ignore that Achilles heel by busying ourselves with so many other noble goals.

But perhaps our service in this world was meant to rectify that one weak spot and that spot alone. And by ignoring it we are defeating our whole purpose in life.

Since strength means breaking the will the path to success is obscured by an unwillingness to experience discomfort and pain. But if one would continue on this path he would see that it was specifically the difficulties and unpleasantness that paved the way for him. And eventually a person will be transformed and will find sweetness and satisfaction in his spiritual labor.

If we manage to succeed in finding that weak point if we dig courageously teeth gritted with no compromises or self-pity we will reach Eternity.

It will be hard. Yes it will be hard. But this is the path that is destined for us.

“Behold I set before you this day a blessing and a curse.” There are countless paths but only the difficult painful path that demands sacrifice and exertion restraint and strengthening — that is your path.

And if we choose life we will see that path of thorns become transformed into a bed of roses.