The Short Vort
Good Morning!
Today is Thursday the 28
th
of Adar Beis 5779 and March 4, 2019
Torah in Denver
I boarded the plane headed westward for Denver to be in a Scholar in Residence at the Mercaz Torah V’Chesed.
This wonderful organization describes itself precisely as it is: “a Yeshiva affiliate, bringing an authentic yeshiva experience to the East Denver community partnered with Yeshiva Toras Chaim headed by Rabbi Yisroel Meir Kagan the Rosh Yeshiva.”
The organization has it’s own Beis Medrash housed in its partner Shul, Kehillas Bais Yisroel, a vibrant young Shul led by the dynamic Rabbi Avraham (Aver) Jacobs.
During my stay, I met wonderful Jews who are striving and yearning to learn and grow.
Rabbi Chaim Sher, the head of Mercaz Torah V’Chesed is doing an amazing job of effectively instilling Torah in all types of Jews.
Rabbi Aver Jacobs the rav of Kehillas Bais Yisroel, where most Mercaz activities take place is their official Rabbinical Director.
This dynamic duo is changing the face of the East Side of Denver with Shiurim, Chavrusahs, and a packed Beis Medrash.
I spoke ten times over Shabbos and I felt good at being able to transmit Torah to the wonderful people of Denver.
I went to inspire, yet, as is often the case, I was the one who left inspired.
Besides the teaching and Shiurim, the questions and personal interactions, there was one special experience which the average observer would never have noticed.
Most of those present never could have imagined that this experience was perhaps my greatest joy of the entire Shabbos.
It was the conversation with a 15-year yeshiva bachur which deeply touched my soul.
On Friday night an unexpected snowstorm dumped a half a foot of snow on the city.
By morning the snow had blanketed the city and the Shul where we were eating was three-quarters of a mile trek away.
As the roads were treacherous and I am anyway a slow walker, Rabbi Sher asked Binyamin Jacobs, a tenth-grade student at Yeshivas Toras Chaim and the son of Rabbi Aver Jacobs if he could escort me to the meal.
The word escort is a misnomer as he literally held my hand throughout most of our courageous trudging through the snow.
I felt sorry for the young boy has he to schlep this old Rabbi through the snow for almost a mile.
Nevertheless, I looked at it as an opportunity.
As soon as we started walking, I did what I always do when I meet a young Bachur. I asked him what he was learning, Often I get answers like, “A big blue book” or, “Not sure, I think something about oxen.” And other times, I just get a blank stare.
Binyamin immediately said, “Chezkas HaBatim”.
That was the signal I yearned for to begin
redn in lernen
with Binyamin.
Instantaneously there was no more snow, and we were no longer in Denver. We were transported to Yerushalayim as we spent the next forty-five minutes in blissful spiritual serenity talking
Torah.
After the meal many offered to walk me home, I specifically asked Binyamin if he would walk me.
This time was even more heavenly.
From the Gemara, we quickly digressed to Tosfos and from there to the Nesivos and from the Nesivos we moved to the contemporary poskim such as Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach.
The Torah did not stop as each one of us added to or challenged the other ones’ Sevara or attempted to bring proof for their opinion.
It was pure M’Ein Olam Habah.
Both of us wished the walk would never end.
I could tell without a doubt that his Rebbe, Rabbi Moshe Chill, the 10
th
grade Rebbe at Yeshivas Toras Chaim was doing an amazing job of inspiring his charges.
An hour later at Shalosh Seudos, I was asked to speak about Talmud Torah.
I began, “Let me tell you about Talmud Torah. For as much as I love all of you, and enjoyed sharing Torah with you, surprisingly perhaps the real highlight of my entire 72 hours in Denver was the 45 minutes I spent talking in learning with Binyamin Jacobs a Talmid in Rabbi Moshe Chill’s Shiur at Yeshiva Toras Chaim.
That was real unadulterated blissful Talmud Torah.
Binyamin was able to successfully and miraculously transform a sexagenarian Shul Rabbi back into an energized Mesivta Bachur!
Such is the power of Talmud Torah, It empowers 15-year-old Binyamin Jacobs to make the snow melt away and the cold disappear and restore a tired and overworked man into an invigorated yeshiva bachur.
The Gemara speaks about a Reshus HaRabim (public domain) and Reshus HaYachid (private domain), Binyamin was able to transform the snowy roads of Denver into a Reshus HaTorah- a pulsating Beis HaMedrash. “
I thought I was traveling west to Denver, however, thanks to Binyamin Jacobs, I went eastward and for a few precious moments, I was luxuriating in the sweetness of the Torah thousands of miles away from the snow-covered streets of Denver as I was in Yerushalayim in every spiritual sense of the word.
“If Not Now, Then When?”- Hillel
Ron Yitzchok Eisenman, Rabbi, Congregation Ahavas Israel, Passaic, NJ
