<\/p>\n
One may recite the <\/span>Amida<\/span><\/i> in any language (<\/span>Sota<\/span><\/i> 32a). However, it is best to pray in Hebrew, for that is the language in which the Men of the Great Assembly composed the prayers. Furthermore, Hebrew is the holy tongue and is the language with which the world was created.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n An additional advantage to praying in Hebrew, untrue of any other language, is that one may pray in Hebrew even if she does not understand it. As long as she understands the first verse of <\/span>Shema<\/span><\/i> and the first <\/span>berakha<\/span><\/i> of the <\/span>Amida<\/span><\/i>, she fulfills her obligation. In any other language, only one who understands what she is saying fulfills her obligation (MB 101:14 and 124:2). <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n In practice, one who does not understand Hebrew may choose the language in which to pray. On one hand, there is an advantage to praying in a language that she understands, for it enables her to have more <\/span>kavana<\/span><\/i>. On the other hand, if she prays in Hebrew, she prays in the holy tongue (see BHL 101:4; <\/span>Kaf Ha-\u0125ayim <\/span><\/i>16). 1<\/a><\/sup><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Permission to pray in other languages is granted only as a temporary measure (<\/span>hora\u2019at sha\u2019ah<\/span><\/i>), specifically for people who do not understand Hebrew. However, it is prohibited to organize a <\/span>minyan<\/span><\/i> of people who pray regularly in a different language. That was one of the sins of the Reform movement, which translated the prayers to German and caused their children to forget the holy tongue, leading the way to assimilation and the abandonment of Judaism (<\/span>\u0124atam Sofer<\/span><\/i>,<\/span> <\/i>O\u0124<\/span> <\/i>84 and 86; MB 101:13).<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n