It’s a Small Word After All

Description

Excerpt

As he neared the street, Friedrich suddenly had an idea: a legitimate and perfectly normal reason that an innocent person would have for running in the street was... to catch a streetcar! A number of tram lines traversed Quaderstrasse, and whichever line there was — and Schiff had never prayed so hard for a streetcar in his life — that was the one he would be running to catch.

Friedrich barreled toward the main street, dodging pedestrians and kiosk stands along the way. He was showered with a fair amount of insults and curses for the havoc he was causing, a first for a man of such mild-mannered nature that he was wont to apologize to those who bumped into him. An insincere "Entshuldige" escaped his lips as he continued to race toward the street. It wasn't far now. He sped toward Quaderstrasse hoping to see a Stassenbahn but the sight that greeted him made his heart very nearly leap from his chest.

On one corner of the street was a cluster of Gestapo officers, and not far away was a band of policemen. Feeding from Zieglerplatz right onto Quaderstrasse was a marching troop of SA soldiers. Schiff had never seen so many Nazis in his life, and now the were converging on him from all sides! Worst of all, there was no tram at the station.

The scent of his own imminent death filled his nostrils. He was like a hunted animal, and the hunters were closing in on him from every direction. His breath came in ragged gasps.

Just then, Friedrich saw his salvation right before his yes. Directly across the broad avenue was a Strassenbahn about to pull out of the station. It never would have occurred before to a law-abiding citizen like himself to dash across four lanes of moving traffic — in front of a host of policemen, no less — but the survival instinct was a most efficient and radical instructor.

Review

Hanoch Teller has created an instant winner with his most recent offering, It’s a Small Word After All: The Amazing Impact of a Kind Gesture or a Thoughtful Remark on Human Lives and Events. There is no need to say much about Hanoch Teller who has become a household word in thousands if not tens of thousands of homes, schools, yeshivos and outreach settings. People know his work, his style, his inimitable stamp.
In It's a Small Word After All, Teller writes of Hashgacha Prattis, of tzaddikim, of ordinary folk, and ordinary remarks. Of the small gesture or word that yields a large impact, often unseen and even unknown by the actor or the speaker. “So, Querido, what do you think?” Teller asks in the opening line of “Cleaning Up for Shabbos.” Gilberto Benitez cleaned up all right – a lifetime’s worth of Shabbosos, and olam hazeh as well. See Small Word for full particulars.
Reviewed in The Jewish Observer

Words of Praise

“In his inimitable style, Rabbi Teller not only recounts these meaningful stories, but he draws a captivating and compelling portrait in which the reader becomes a virtual participant.  This unique approach enhances the message and the inspiration derived from his wonderful words — big and small.  Everyone can find meaningful guidance and affirming messages in this work.”

Malcolm I. Hoenlein Executive Vice Chairman Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations