The story is told of the pious Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berdichev, who observed one of his congregants at prayer, mumbling incoherently.
After the prayers were over, the Rabbi approached the congregant.
“Bla blablablab mum mum blah blah blah” said the Rabbi, quietly.
“I beg your pardon, Rabbi?”
“Bla blablablab mum blab mumumumum” said the Rabbi, again.
“Rabbi, are you okay?”
“Mum hum mum mum mumumumumum”
“Rabbi, I can’t make out a word you are saying!”
“Well that’s how you prayed just now. How do you expect G-d to understand you?”
The man turned to the Rabbi and answered, not missing a beat, “Rabbi, with all due respect, when a baby cries, seemingly nobody understands what the baby could possibly want, yet the mother and father are able to somehow understand the incoherent sounds. G-d is the same, He is our Father, He can understand me.”
The Rabbi of Berdichev was truly overjoyed by this answer which showed how G-d hears our prayers, even the seemingly incoherent ones.
The Jewish people are the ‘people of the book’. Let’s connect with our heritage, using the many wonderful opportunities available to us, in a familiar language. G-d hears us, even if we mumble incoherently – certainly He understands other languages!