Editing Jewish prayer (section)

===Text and language===
According to [[halakha]], all individual prayers and virtually all communal prayers may be said in any language that the person praying understands. For example, the ''[[Mishnah]]'' mentions that the ''[[Shema]]'' need not be said in Hebrew.<ref>[[s:Mishnah/Seder Zeraim/Tractate Berakhot/Chapter 2/3|Berakhot 2:3]]</ref> A list of prayers that must be said in Hebrew is given in the Mishna,<ref>[[s:Mishnah/Seder Nashim/Tractate Sotah/Chapter 7/2|Sotah 7:2]]</ref> and among these only the [[Priestly Blessing]] is in use today, as the others are prayers that are to be said only in a [[Temple in Jerusalem]], by a [[Kohen|priest]], or by a reigning [[Jewish Messiah|King]].

Despite this, the tradition of most [[Ashkenazi]] [[Orthodox Judaism|Orthodox]] synagogues is to use Hebrew for all except a small number of prayers, including [[Kaddish]] and [[Yekum Purkan]] in [[Aramaic]], and [[God of Abraham|Gott Fun Avraham]], which was written in Yiddish. In other streams of Judaism there is considerable variability: [[Sephardic]] communities may use [[Ladino language|Ladino]] or [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]] for many prayers, although usually only for added prayers and not for the established prayers; [[Conservative Judaism|Conservative]] synagogues tend to use the local language to a varying degree; and at some [[Reform Judaism|Reform]] synagogues almost the whole service may be in the local language.

The language of the prayers, while clearly being from the Second Temple period,<ref name="KTB-Berakhot-175">"Some explain that this means that prayers were instituted{{nbsp}}[...] after the destruction of the Temple to replace the offerings. However, these prayers were already extant throughout the Second Temple era with virtually the same formula that was instituted later, with certain known differences. Furthermore, there were already synagogues at that time, some even in close proximity to the Temple. There is a dispute in the Talmud about whether the prayers were instituted to parallel the offerings, or whether they have an independent source, unrelated to the Temple service." {{cite book|editor1-last=Weinreb|editor1-first=Tzvi Hersh|editor2-last=Berger|editor2-first=Shalom Z.|editor3-last=Schreier|editor3-first=Joshua|others=Even-Israel (Steinsaltz), Adin |title=[Talmud Bavli] = Koren Talmud Bavli|year=2012|publisher=Shefa Foundation|location=Jerusalem|isbn=9789653015630|pages=175 ff|edition=1st Hebrew/English|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=05XKjgEACAAJ&q=Koren+Talmud+Bavli+Berakhot|access-date=25 April 2016}}</ref> often employs biblical idiom, and according to some authorities it should not contain rabbinic or Mishnaic idiom apart from in the sections of Mishnah that are featured.