לזכות לאה אסתר בת פרימט
The gemara [Bava Metzia 86b and Pesachim 42b] talks about עמילן של טבחים - starch of cooks. They use this עמילן to draw the dirt out of the pots.
The Dzikover, the Holy Imrei Noam, explains that to be עמל בתורה is to draw the dirt out of a person by learning with great intensity and diligence.
The story goes [I believe I have the correct names] that in the Mir Yeshiva, the Mashgiach Rav Yeruchem Levovitz said that the only student who doesn't need to learn mussar is R' Chaim Shmuelevitz because he learns so intensly, with such עמל, that he IS Torah. [I must reference the famous Maharal that a person who learns enough Torah BECOMES Torah ואכמ"ל].
