I boarded the plane for Denver to be a scholar in residence at Merkaz Torah V’Chesed.

Rabbi Chaim Sher, the head of the organization, is doing an amazing job of instilling Torah in all types of Jews. Rabbi Avraham (Aver) Jacobs, the rav of Kehilas Bais Yisroel (where most Merkaz Torah activities take place) is their official rabbinical director.

This dynamic duo is changing the face of the East Side of Denver with shiurim, chavrusas, and a packed beis medrash. During my stay, I met many wonderful Jews who are striving and yearning to learn and grow.

I spoke ten times over Shabbos, and I felt good at being able to transmit Torah to the wonderful people of Denver. Aside from the teaching and shiurim, the questions and personal interactions, there was one special experience the average observer would never have noticed. Those present never could have imagined that this experience was perhaps my greatest joy of the entire Shabbos. But it was the conversation with a 15-year-old yeshivah bochur that deeply touched my soul.

I went to inspire, yet I was the one who left inspired.

On Friday night, an unexpected snowstorm dumped six inches of snow on the city. By morning, the city was blanketed, and we had a three-quarter-of-a-mile trek to the shul where we were eating.

As the roads were treacherous, and I’m 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 in this case, as he literally held my hand throughout most of our courageous trudging through the snow.

As soon as we started walking, I did what I always do when I meet a young bochur. 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.

But 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. We were no longer in Denver. We were transported to Yerushalayim as we spent the next 45 minutes in blissful spiritual serenity talking Torah.

Although many offered to walk me home after the meal, I specifically asked Binyamin if he would walk me.

This time was even more heavenly.

From the Gemara, we quickly digressed to Tosafos and from there to the Nesivos and from the Nesivos to Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach.

The words did not stop as we each added to or challenged the other’s sevara or attempted to bring proof for his opinion. It was pure mei’ein Olam Haba.

Both of us wished the walk would never end.

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.

“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 sexagenarian to an invigorated yeshivah bochur.

“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 medrash.”

(Originally featured in Mishpacha, Issue 755)