We say someone who reads Megillah in language he does not understand he is not yotzi. Yet we say with ashuriyut even if you dont understand there is an inyan of pirsumae nisa there for those who dont understand are yotzei.
(sorry if ths is a stupid question)
Why cant we apply pirsuma nisae to the case of someone hearing a foreign language?
What is the reason in the first place why youre not yotzei with a language you dont understand?
benji, Johannesburg, South Africa
When another language, other than Hebrew, is used, there is no Pirsumei Nisa, and that is why one is not Yotzei when he hears the Megilah in a foreign language that he does not understand.
There are two ways to accomplish Pirsumei Nisa:
(a) By hearing the actual story in a language that one understands
(b) By hearing the Megilah in Hebrew. The reason that there is Pirsumei Nisa when the Megilah is read in Hebrew is because, first, most Jews understand it (and therefore one who does not can ask another Jew), and second, because when one hears Hebrew being read he knows that something of special import to the Jews if being said ("Noda Tivo l'Chol ha'Olam, Af l'Mi she'Ein Makir Bo") - see ME'IRI to Megilah 17a.
I hope this helps you.
Best wishes,
Reuven Weiner
Kollel Iyun Hadaf