Q&A: The Holy Tongue
Originally published:
This is an English translation (via GPT-5.4). Read the original Hebrew version.
The Holy Tongue
Question
If I have prayed since childhood with Ashkenazic pronunciation, am I halakhically obligated to continue praying with that pronunciation, or is it only a custom, so that I can pray in regular Hebrew?
Answer
I didn’t understand the “or.” It is indeed a custom, but a custom has binding force. If you want to change, you need to do annulment of vows.
If praying with Ashkenazic pronunciation is better, then this is a vow connected to a commandment, which requires annulment of vows.
If it’s a matter of communal affiliation, annulment of vows is not relevant to that.