One God versus Ali

שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ יְהוָה אֶחָד - Shema Yisra'el YHWH Eloheinu YHWH Eḥad

 

The literal word meanings are roughly as follows:

Shema — listen, or hear & do (according to the Targum, accept)

Yisrael — Israel, in the sense of the people or congregation of Israel

Adonai — often translated as "Lord", it is read in place of YHWH

Eloheinu — our God, the word "El" or "Eloh" signifying God (see also: Elohim), and the plural possessive determiner suffix "-nu" or "-enu" signifying "our"

Eḥad — the Hebrew word for the number 1, which has the dual meaning "one" and "alone", its root is also "unique"

 

 

Ali and I have begun to say the Shema every night now. I sing it and then she sings it and then we both say the English. Then Ali says What does one god mean. So I explain it means we have one god. She then rebuts that by saying "no, there is a God in China, on the moon, in a spaceship, etc." Steve then told Ali one night last week in response to this, that us, as Jewish people,  believe in only one God. Ali seemed to take this and sit with it. But then earlier this week, one night at grandma's when granny told Ali there is only one God, Ali rebutted with" No granny, there is more then one god and I know why. because when God is sleeping there are so many gods who come to help him out." 

How do you rebut that one?

This morning, I commented about Granny Rita. I told Ali how I used to make Jello with granny and then she asked where granny is. I said in heaven. Ali asked where that is. I said far away up in the sky with the stars. She asked if God is there. I said yes. Then Ali asked if we can go visit. I explained we can not but Granny is always in our hearts and thoughts. Before the conversation eneded, Ali said, "Mom, how does she eat." I said she is taken care of. Ali replied" Yah mom, God takes care of her. He is pretend, but he can feed your granny because God loves you and her and me."

A few tears dripped down. . .