I had been under the impression that for all five of the megillot you say a bracha before the reading, and this is the practice I've observed. When preparing for Shabbat chol hamoed Sukkot this year I went to look up the bracha and was surprised to not find it in an Artscroll siddur. I checked a couple other siddurim without success, then consulted Isaac Klein's Guide to Jewish Practice , where I found a comment that we do not say a bracha for Sukkot. (I didn't check to see what Klein said about the others, though I did check Shir Hashirim in Artscroll and didn't find it there either.)
Everybody agrees that reading the megillah at Purim is a mitzvah and has a bracha, but now I'm wondering about the other four cases. Are we supposed to say the bracha for all of them? If not, why not?
Answer
Most will tell you that reading the other 4 Megillahs is custom, not Rabbinic decree. That's the general practice.
The Vilna Gaon, however, is of the opinion that all 5 Megillahs must be read from a handwritten parchment klaf, and (if done so) have the blessing "who commanded us regarding Megillah reading." You will see this opinion out there too.
(Mind you, Shir HaShirim, Esther, Eicha, Ruth aren't that bad out of a klaf, but even the most veteran of readers will tell you that reading Kohelet without printed vowels or cantillation marks is a total killer. I've even heard of Haftorahs being done out of a handwritten parchment that also contained vowels.)
H/t Double AA, who pointed to responsum of Rabbi Moshe Isserles #35 (pdf).
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