On One Foot

I love this book! What a gem! I bought it for my lesson on Simchat Torah for grades 2-4 Religious class. The art is whimsical and appeals to children as well as adults. The story isn't too long which is rare in Jewish children's books...really holds the kid's attention. I wanted to teach my students that the Torah is more than history & bunch of rules to follow. That it's relatable to our lives now. In my lesson we spoke about Rabbi Hillel & the origin of the "golden rule" which is originally a Jewish mitzvah. This book brings about good discussions with children on what's going on in the world in the U.S. election, refugees, immigrants, religious & ethnic tolerance at an age appropriate level.

This is a really good picture book which reaches out to young children with the famous "Do unto others..." quotation of Rabbi Hillel. I read it to pre-school through second grade students who liked the story and then stood on one foot--or tried!-- while reciting the famous quotation Hillel used to answer a young man who wanted to learn the entire Torah while standing on one foot. Our library definitely needs additional copies because several students wanted to check it out!

A young man with a lyre slung over his shoulder shaded his eyes as he looked over at the walled-in city of Jerusalem. He wanted to learn the Torah, but not just in any old way. He wanted a great teacher, but just how would he know who was? The young man sat under a tree and scratched his head, thinking great thoughts. Not. All of a sudden he noticed a blue bird perched on a “nearby branch standing on one foot.” The little bird was so well-balanced he didn’t even plop onto the ground. “That’s it,” he cried out, “A great teacher would be clever enough to stand on one foot.”The foolish boy set off to Jerusalem to find himself that great teacher ... the very one who could teach him the entire Torah standing on one foot! Surely there would be a wise rabbi who could do that. “Can you teach me the whole Torah,” he asked the first rabbi he saw, “while standing on one foot?” The rabbi quickly dismissed him with a laugh, claiming that even Rabbi Hillel, a great scholar couldn’t manage that one. Alas, the foolish, angry young man went on his way to find a wise rabbi who could teach him. He stomped and fumed (grrrrrr!) until he spotted another rabbi reading a scroll.Surely a rabbi reading a scroll could help him and he asked his question once again. Of course the rabbi turned him away by exclaiming, “Don’t you know there are 613 commandments in the Torah?” On and on he went pronouncing all the difficult things he would have to do in order to teach that foolish young man. He too agreed that even Rabbi Hillel couldn’t manage that one. He asked yet another rabbi and then some children, but wasn’t getting anywhere. The foolish young man finally headed off to find Rabbi Hillel, the “wisest rabbi in all of Jerusalem.” Would Rabbi Hillel be able to teach him the Torah while standing on on foot or would he laugh at him like all the others?This is a humorous, but ultimately wise tale that all young children can relate to. Of course it will be easy for young children to see how very foolish that young man is, especially if they know a bit about the Torah. With the complexity of the Torah, no one in their right mind would be able to stand on one foot and recite it, but there’s a little twist at the end of this tale. Rabbi Hillel, who was a great Jewish scholar, has just the answer that any fool would be satisfied with. His simple answer is a lesson that young and old alike can learn from and take to heart. The artwork, a blend of torn paper collage and watercolor, is delightfully appealing. There is a brief author’s note in the back discussing the “real” Rabbi Hillel.This book courtesy of the publisher.

A young man travels to the ancient city of Jerusalem in search of a great Torah teacher. He asks each teacher he comes across if they can teach him the Torah standing on one foot. He comes across teachers that tell him why they can't do that, laugh and scowl at him, and tell him that even the great Rabbi Hillel couldn't even do that. Each time he is laughed at he stomps away mad. In his search for a great Torah teacher no one offers to help him and he feels very discouraged. Someone then encourages him to go to Rabbi Hillel himself to see if he can help. He then receives a Torah lesson that will change his life for the good.It was interesting to me to read this story of a young boy looking for a Torah teacher, because I think a great Torah teacher that will teach truth is often hard to find, not only for children but for adults as well. This story teaches children that even if they are laughed at they should not treat others in ways that they wouldn't want to be treated themselves when they are laughed at, have nobody to help them, and/or are discouraged. I found it interesting that the boy was looking for a Torah teacher like Rabbi Hillel, and he found out that Rabbi Hillel's words would reach down to his young generation as well.I received this book free in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

Can you stand on one foot and read a favorite story out loud? Are you able to stand on one foot in your classroom and take on the lesson for the day? Even the most talented person may have difficulty completing any task on just one foot, right?A young foolish man wanted to learn the Torah. The issue he had is that he wanted to find the best Rabbi there was. His bright idea, to prove that he does could find the best, is to have the Rabbi teach him the entire Torah by standing only on one foot. During his travels to find the perfect Rabbi, he was laughed at and told he was being preposterous. But, one thing he kept hearing was that Rabbi Hillel is the wisest and kindest teacher and that he could probably do it. When the young man finally encountered the wise Rabbi he didn’t laugh at his request or accuse him of being preposterous. He simply just listened and responded. What do you think the Rabbi did?Author Linda Glaser has created a small tale that truly packs a punch. Combined with hilarious mixed media illustrations by Nuria Balaguer, make the story playful and educational. Parents, teachers and young readers will enjoy learning about the Torah and its teachings and that the impossible may not be as it seems.