Mishnayos Sotah Perek 7 Mishnah 4

How is it derived that the recitation at a ḥalitza ceremony must be in Hebrew? The verse in the Torah portion discussing ḥalitza states: “And she shall speak and say” (Deuteronomy 25:9), and below it states: “And the Levites shall speak and say” (Deuteronomy 27:14). Just as there, the Levites speak in the sacred tongue, so too here, the recitation is in the sacred tongue. Rabbi Yehuda says: This can be derived from a different word in the verse: “And she shall speak and say: So shall it be done to the man that does not build up his brother’s house” (Deuteronomy 25:9). The word “so” indicates that her statement is ineffective unless she says it in these exact words.

חֲלִיצָה כֵּיצַד, (שם כה) וְעָנְתָה וְאָמְרָה, וּלְהַלָּן הוּא אוֹמֵר וְעָנוּ הַלְוִיִּם וְאָמְרוּ, מָה עֲנִיָּה הָאֲמוּרָה לְהַלָּן בִּלְשׁוֹן הַקֹּדֶשׁ, אַף כָּאן בִּלְשׁוֹן הַקֹּדֶשׁ. רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר, וְעָנְתָה וְאָמְרָה כָּכָה, עַד שֶׁתֹּאמַר בַּלָּשׁוֹן הַזֶּה: