The Announcing Tool: A Read-Aloud Midrash for Children
Gellman, Marc
A long time ago when all people lived in one place, getting the news was easy. They had yellers who would walk around town and after no more than a morning of yelling everyone knew that something...
...God frowned at Enoch who scurried off to find a new announcing tool...
...Listen to my fine announcing tool which makes a beautiful sound and is not made of iron...
...The new year is for all creatures, the animals and people as well...
...The next day Enoch returned with two rocks...
...It is made by man and not by me...
...The next day Enoch returned with a harp...
...Then Enoch blew a loud note on the golden horn...
...God said to Enoch, "You need a special announcing tool—go find one...
...God smiled the biggest smile at Enoch and taught him how to blow the ram's horn for the big celebration of the new year which was soon to begin...
...The new year is not a time to glorify human creations...
...God frowned at Enoch who scurried off to find a new announcing tool...
...Listen to my fine announcing tool which makes a beautiful sound," he said, and he hit the gong which made a gong-ringing sound...
...I wish it were easier...
...So a | man named Enoch asked God what to do to get the news of the new year around the world...
...but the horn is not a natural instrument...
...It is hollow, but it is not naturally hollow...
...God said to Enoch, "The golden horn is a good announcing tool, but not good enough for the new year...
...God frowned at Enoch who scurried off to find a new announcing tool...
...The next day Enoch was a little late in coming, but he finally arrived a little out of breath...
...The harp does indeed make beautiful sounds and it is not a weapon of war, but the harp is too soft a sound to announce the new year...
...The new year is a time for music and singing, not banging and yelling...
...I blow and blow, and then a toot comes out, and then nothing, and then maybe another toot...
...The new year is a time of peace not war...
...Then Enoch strummed a tune on the harp...
...I have done nothing to the horn, it is naturally hollow, and it comes from one of your creatures...
...All the other instruments were easy to make a sound with, but this ram's horn is impossible to play...
...But when people began living all over the place, even the yellers couldn't get the news across...
...I am embarrassed to present my new announcing tool...
...Listen to my fine announcing tool which makes a beautiful sound, is not made of iron, and is loud enough to carry the news from hilltop to hilltop...
...God said to Enoch, "The harp also will not do as an announcing tool for the new year...
...The new year is a time of loud rejoicing, and a loud announcing tool is needed, a tool that will carry the news of the new year from hilltop to hilltop around the world...
...It is made hollow by human hands...
...Rocks do not make music, they only make noise...
...It is only a ram's horn—not nearly as beautiful as the golden horn, or as sweet and delicate as the harp—but it does make fine sounds, and it is not a weapon of war, and it is loud enough to get the news from hilltop to hilltop...
...It makes a beautiful sound only after it has been pounded and shaped by human hands...
...The next day Enoch arrived with a golden trumpet...
...But there is just one thing...
...Find something to celebrate the new year which is for all my creatures...
...The next day Enoch returned with a gong...
...God frowned at Enoch who scurried off to find a new announcing tool...
...God said to Enoch, "What kind of announcing tool is this to tell of the arrival of the new year...
...Listen to my fine announcing tool," he said and banged the two rocks together making a loud rock-banging noise...
...They had yellers who would walk around town and after no more than a morning of yelling everyone knew that something special had happened...
...God said to Enoch, "What kind of announcing tool is this to tell of the arrival of the new year...
...True, the golden horn makes beautiful sounds, is not made of iron, and is loud enough...
...Mostly, people just didn't get the news, but some special events just had to be announced, and the arrival of a new year was the most special event of all...
...The gong does make a beautiful sound, but it is made of iron, and iron is used to make weapons of war...
Vol. 4 • September 1979 • No. 8
