Ch. 5, Halacha 7 – Reciting Tehillim in Lashon HaKodesh or Other Languages

Sources and Explanations

In the Mishnah, Sotah (32a), we learned: “The following may be said in any language: the passage of the sotah, the confession of tithes, Keriat Shema and tefillah, and Birkat HaMazon, the oath of testimony and the oath of deposit. And the following are said in Lashon HaKodesh: the recitation of bikkurim, chalitzah, the blessings and the curses, Birkat Kohanim, the blessing of the Kohen Gadol, the portion of the king, the portion of the eglah arufah (the calf whose neck is broken), and the Kohen anointed for war when he speaks to the people.” The Gemara gives a reason permitting each of these matters to be said in any language. The passage of the sotah, because it says, ‘And the Kohen shall say to the woman’: in whatever language he speaks. Regarding the confession of tithes it says, ‘And you shall say before Hashem your God,’ and we learn a gezeirah shavah (textual analogy) of “saying” and “saying” from sotah. Regarding Keriat Shema it says, ‘Shema Yisrael’ (Hear, O Israel): in any language that you hear. And regarding tefillah, the Gemara says that since tefillah is a plea for mercy, a person may pray in any language in which he knows how to direct his heart.

Truly, the matter is difficult, for the Gemara’s words imply that were it not for a source to permit, a person would be allowed to say these only in Lashon HaKodesh. For example, Tehillim, for which there is no source to permit, should therefore be read only in Lashon HaKodesh, and certainly this is not so. Therefore it seems that one should distinguish: only those things through which a person must fulfill the obligation of the mitzvah he is performing must he do according to halacha; but a person is not obligated to read Tehillim, and therefore he may read it even in a foreign language. See Chiddushei HaGriz there.

Now, in the laws of tefillah we find a dispute among our Rishonim whether one may pray in other languages (cited in the Beit Yosef, siman 101). A. The view of the Rif, who writes (Berachot 7) that the permission to pray in any language applies only when one prays together with the tzibbur, but one who prays individually may pray only in Lashon HaKodesh, as Rav Yehudah said in the name of Rav (Shabbat 12b): “A person should never request his needs in Aramaic. And Rabbi Yochanan said: Whoever requests his needs in Aramaic, the ministering angels do not attend to him, because the ministering angels do not recognize the Aramaic language.”

Since the parameter of this law depends specifically on requesting one’s needs, accordingly one should equate to it the law of reading Tehillim as well, which is a request for one’s needs: if one says them with the tzibbur, he may read them in other languages, and if he reads them alone, he should read only in Lashon HaKodesh. B. The second approach is the view of Rabbeinu Yonah, who asked: since tefillah by an individual is said only in Lashon HaKodesh, the custom practiced throughout the world that women pray in other languages is astonishing, for since they are obligated in tefillah, they should have prayed only in Lashon HaKodesh.

Therefore Rabbeinu Yonah held that what Rav Yehudah said, that a person should never request his needs in Aramaic, applies specifically when he requests his needs, for example when he prays for a sick person or about some distress he has in his home and the like; but with tefillah, if he does not know Lashon HaKodesh, he can fulfill his obligation in any language. And the reason that the needs of the tzibbur may be requested in any language, which is not so with the needs of an individual, is because the tzibbur does not need an intercessor before Hakadosh Baruch Hu (the Holy One, blessed be He), but the individual needs one, as it says, “If there be an angel over him, an intercessor,” etc., and the ministering angels attend only to Lashon HaKodesh. He added in the name of the sages of France that when an individual prays the very tefillah that the tzibbur prays, we judge it like the tefillah of the tzibbur, and an individual may say it in another language.

One may discuss whether, according to Rabbeinu Yonah’s explanation, saying Tehillim is considered like tefillah and like the needs of the tzibbur, which may be said in any language, or perhaps it is the request of an individual, which can be said only in Lashon HaKodesh. Seemingly, it appears that with Tehillim everything depends on the circumstance: if the tzibbur says Tehillim, it is a recitation in the capacity of a tzibbur, and if an individual says it, it is a recitation in the capacity of an individual. The explanation of this is that, on the contrary, most of Tehillim is in the singular, unlike tefillah, which was instituted from the outset in the plural: ‘chonenu’ (grant us), ‘hashivenu’ (return us), ‘refa’enu’ (heal us), and the like.

C. A third approach is built on the question of Tosafot (Shabbat 32b): how could it be that the ministering angels do not recognize Aramaic, when they recognize even a person’s thoughts? The Rosh answered (Berachot chapter 2, siman 2) that certainly the ministering angels recognize Aramaic, but this language is repugnant in their eyes to attend to; however, it is permitted to pray in other languages that are not Aramaic. Accordingly, one may also recite Tehillim in any language he wishes except Aramaic.

D. An additional opinion is the view of the Meiri (Berachot 13a), who writes that one may pray in a foreign language, for the matter was not stated as indispensable; rather, it is more mehudar (preferable) to say it in Lashon HaKodesh, for whenever one prays in a foreign language it is in his eyes merely like ordinary speech, and not all the kavanot (intentions) are present in it.

For practical halacha, the Shulchan Aruch, in his pure work (Orach Chaim 101:4), cites all the opinions, and these are his words: “One may pray in any language he wishes. This applies with the tzibbur, but individually one should pray only in Lashon HaKodesh. And some say that this applies when he requests his needs, such as if he prayed for a sick person or about some distress he has in his home; but the fixed tefillah of the tzibbur, even an individual may say it in any language. And some say that even an individual, when he requests his needs, may request in any language he wishes except Aramaic.”

Since Maran stated the view of the Rif without attribution, it appears that he held like him; and we have already written above that it emerges from the view of the Rif to permit reading Tehillim in any language, for one follows the reasoning.

However, this still requires examination, for the Kaf HaChaim (101:16) writes to be stringent to pray only in Lashon HaKodesh, and these are his words: “However, the Solet Belulah (ot 5) writes that there is room to hesitate about this, for the Men of the Great Assembly instituted the tefillot for us, every word and every vowel, according to sod (the esoteric wisdom), to effect yichudim (unifications), to accomplish tikkunim, and to elevate the worlds; and these are the actions that were accomplished at the time the Beit HaMikdash stood, through the korbanot. Therefore the Shelah (folio 249b) writes that one should not change even one vowel, for changing even one vowel can destroy the world, etc. End quote. The Chesed LaAlafim (ot 5) writes likewise. And see Sha’ar HaKavanot (in Derushei HaTefillah) that there are many deep secrets and supernal mysteries in the text of the tefillah. Therefore, one who knows how to pray in Lashon HaKodesh should pray only in Lashon HaKodesh, and in the text of the tefillah arranged by the Men of the Great Assembly, even if he does not understand; but he should strive to find some people who will teach him the understanding of the text of the tefillah, if possible. However, one who does not know how to pray in Lashon HaKodesh at all, even without understanding, should then pray in a foreign language, so that he not be entirely deprived of the mitzvah of tefillah. And see below (siman 193, se’if 1), where it is implied that in Lashon HaKodesh one fulfills his obligation even if he does not understand, if he says it himself, but in other languages he must understand; see there. The Eshel Avraham (ot 5) writes likewise, and we wrote likewise above (siman 62, ot 3). And what the Neveh Shalom (ot 6) writes, that the view of Maran is to permit, is not compelling; see there.”

This is not like the ruling of the Mishnah Berurah (101:13) that it is only a mitzvah min hamuvchar (the choicest fulfillment) in Lashon HaKodesh, which implies that by the letter of the law it is permitted. However, in the laws of Keriat Shema (Orach Chaim 62:2), although the Shulchan Aruch ruled leniently to read it in any language, the Mishnah Berurah (62:3) cites that the works of the Acharonim wrote that in our times, even by the letter of the law, one should be careful not to read it in another language but only in Lashon HaKodesh, for there are many words that we do not know how to translate properly. For example, the word ‘veshinantam’ has several explanations: one meaning study and one meaning sharpness, as Chazal said, that words of Torah should be sharp in your mouth, so that if a person asks you something you will not stammer but will tell him. Likewise, there are many words in Keriat Shema whose explanation we do not know well in another language, such as the word ‘et’ and the word ‘letotafot’ and the like. But when we read Shema in Lashon HaKodesh, and likewise tefillah, Birkat HaMazon, Kiddush and other berachot, even if one does not understand the language he has fulfilled his obligation.

However, immediately after these words the Kaf HaChaim explains that the discussion is only about the order of tefillah instituted by Chazal, and this is the continuation of his words: “All this applies to the order of tefillah that the Men of the Great Assembly instituted for us, as it is arranged among us: the order of the berachot, the korbanot, the mizmorim, Keriat Shema with its berachot, and Shemoneh Esreh, etc., until after Aleinu; and likewise from month to month, from Shabbat to Shabbat, and on the festivals. But the prayers that the early generations instituted, which are not according to sod, the Arizal would not say at all. Therefore, one who does not understand them in Lashon HaKodesh should say them in the language he understands, and he need not say them in Lashon HaKodesh with the tzibbur, for Hakadosh Baruch Hu Himself accepts their prayer, unlike an individual, whose prayer is through angels, and they do not attend to other languages. Solet Belulah.” End quote.

If so, here too one may discuss: since the chapters of Tehillim also contain yichudim, tikkunim and spiritual elevations instituted by King David, peace be upon him, is the law of reciting them like the law of tefillah, which one should not change lest he damage their tikkun; or perhaps they are like other requests, for which it is permitted, and only regarding tefillah were they stringent in this way.

From the sefer “Shaf Veyativ – Laws of Saying Tehillim” by Rabbi Shay Tahan, Chapter 5: How to Say Tehillim and Precise Pronunciation, Halacha 7 (p. 63 in the print edition). Translated from the Hebrew original.