Even those who don't know much or any Hebrew should aim towards trying to
say some of the basic prayers and blessings in Hebrew. For example,
reciting the Sh'ma - it's short and basically anyone, even a beginner, can
learn to say and read it in Hebrew. There is something unique about our
language. Using Hebrew has advantages that can't be attained in other
languages. This is not to say that we cannot pray in our native tongue,
it's just that the Hebrew adds an extra dimension that we wouldn't get
otherwise.
For sure the best thing is to recite the prayers in Hebrew and understand
the words at the same time. True, Prayer is allowed in any language.
However this is not a blanket permission, nor does it suggest that other
languages are equal to Hebrew, the Holy Tongue. Interestingly, if one prays
in any other language he does not fulfill his obligation unless he
understands what is being said. Not so in Hebrew. In Hebrew he fulfills his
obligation even if he doesn't understand. This is because Hebrew has
special virtues that other languages just don't have.
The story is told of an illiterate boy in the time of the Baal Shem Tov,
founder of the Chassidic movement. The boy knew nothing but the letters of
the Aleph Bet. While everyone else in the synagogue was praying fervently,
he repeated the Aleph Bet over and over again. Then he said to God: "I
don't know the words of the prayers. All I know is the Aleph Bet. You take
the letters and form them into the proper words." The Baal Shem Tov said
this boy's prayers broke through all the barriers and lifted up the prayers
of all the others in the synagogue. So, say what you can in Hebrew and
leave the rest up to God.
ENGLISH
(The following was sent to me - I think it fits right in here to show the
contrast between Hebrew and English)
Let's face it -- English is a crazy language. There is no egg in eggplant
nor ham in hamburger; neither apple nor pine in pineapple.
English muffins weren't invented in England or French fries in France.
Sweetmeats are candies while sweetbreads, which aren't sweet, are meat.
We take English for granted. But if we explore its paradoxes, we find that
quicksand can work slowly, boxing rings are square, and a guinea pig is
neither from Guinea nor is it a pig.
And why is it that writers write but fingers don't fing, grocers don't
groce, and hammers don't ham? If the plural of tooth is teeth, why isn't
the plural of booth beeth? One goose, two geese. So one moose, two meese?
One index, two indices?
Doesn't it seem crazy that you can make amends but not one amend, that you
comb through annals of history but not a single annal? If you have a bunch
of odds and ends and get rid of all but one of them, what do you call it?
If teachers taught, why not preachers praught? If a vegetarian eats
vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat? If you wrote a letter, perhaps
you bote your tongue?
Remember when mass was said in Latin? That was the same for Catholics--to be able to go anywhere in the world and worship with those of that faith and understand what was happening. I was raised Baptist and when I turned 17, I ran so far from organized religion that it wasn't funny. I've recently been attending a Methodist Church. What I like is the Methodist don't ask that you give up what you were brought up believing and that re-baptism is not an issue. They'll do it, but they believe that once baptized, always baptized. Being a polyglot with a heavy background in linguistics, I appreciate the blurb on the "stupidity" of the English language. That's what happens when you mix Anglo-Saxon, French, and Latin. C'est la vie! -1/2-/2008
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To understand the Torah we(english speaking people) need to learn the Hebrew langauges. Praying in another lanuage is unnecessary God wants us to prayer from our heart not from our lips. I admit some people have created some beautiful prayers but what moves God is prayers that are from within the person such as "HELP ME " or " HAVE MERCY ON ME " cryimg out to God . WHen we get determine God will move. Now if you do want to speak in another language God can give you the utterance of another tonuge. Speaking in tongues is still happening today just as it did on the day of Pentecost . Well I think I have lost most of you on that subject so I'll close with that in mind. John Mark - J. M. -0/9-/2005
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Mmmm, very interesting topic. i feel that we should pray in whatever language ones own persons believe. -0/5-/2004
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Even if one only recognizes the words and the tune of the cantor, the Hebrew of common prayers (e.g. shema,kaddish, ahavta) brings a community together regardless of the language differences. Thus, I can go to a synagogue anywhere in the world, participate in the service and feel a bond with fellow Jews. If I only knew how to pray in my own language, I would not be able to share the experience. -1/0-/2001
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I agree with the writers who believe one shouldn't "babble" in a language one doesn't understand rather than pray sincerely in one's native language. But I like what the "mum" said on 7/23/01 about praying in English and ALSO trying to pray in Hebrew and understand. Davening at all required times can be time-consuming and I admire very much that someone with so many commitments to fulfill to her family and work is still willing to put in basically double the Daveing time! I am also in the middle of my conversion studies and can't speak a comprehensible word of Hebrew, but I do try to at least sound out the Hebrew as well as Daven in English. I figure that if nothing else perhaps the repetition, and associating certain Hebrew words with known English words, I'll eventually know what all the Hebrew words mean, at least in the Siddur. I may not know yet what I'm saying in Hebrew, but God knows, and He also knows that my heart is in the prayer even if my brain is befuddled. Then when I Daven in English it's for my benefit! :-) So I feel I'm covering all my bases and God's, using both the holiest language as well as my own language, using both my heart and my brain. I don't mean to laud my actions or make myself sound nifty, it's just the only way I know how to fulfill as many of my obligations as I can. - K. R. -0/8-/2001
