In Judaism, can you pray mentally vs. out loud?

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SophieAlman

New member
Is it preferable to pray out loud than to think it? What if you pray out loud in hebrew but don't understand the meaning? Is it okay to pray in your hear in english?
(Reform Judaism)
 
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Rachel

Member
Kaganate is right, in regard to the "halachic" (judicial? according to the law? it's a hard word to translate) details, and for formal prayers like the shemona esrei, and the shacharis and mincha and maariv prayers. However, prayer is also known to be called "avoda shebalev", or "the work of the heart". Which means that it's really a heart thing, and therefore prayers can be "thought" as well as just said, when you're not in the context of formally mandated prayers. Prayers for example like "please help me do x" or "please let y" happen, don't need to be said to count. They can be thought.
 
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kaganate

New member
A prayer is an action involving words, involving the mouth

if you "just think it" you don't necessarily actualy use the words
and you don't elevate the "work of your lips" so to speak

You must "say"

However, the main three-times-per day prayer in Judaism (Shemoneh Esreh) is done on the model of Hannah, the mother of Samuel --
"out loud" means just loudly enough for yourself to hear.

"...Now Hannah, she spoke in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice could not be heard; therefore, Eli thought she had been drunken." (1 Samuel 1:13)

The Shemah people usualy say in a full voice though

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English vs Hebrew - it is preferable to learn ahead of time so that you say the prayers in Hebrew AND know what you are saying.
Otherwise - yes it is okay to pray in English.
In a reform synagogue in an English speaking country, even many of the public group prayers are in English

But there is a definite power in the Hebrew language itself.
Mystics say that every word of the prayers were worked out in detail because of the particular word's power, evocativeness, connection to Godliness...

You can certainly study enough to learn the one phrase of the Shemah and say it in Hebrew.
"Shemah Israel, Ad-nai Elo-einu, Ad-nai Ehod"
"Hear oh Israel, the Lord is your God, the Lord is the one God"

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NOTE: The actual Halakha (law) does not differ between Orthodox and Reform -- the difference is that in the Reform movement the Halakhot are just not viewed as "obligatory"
 
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