16. [The following is the law] when a person who has already fulfilled his obligation to hear the Megillah, reads the Megillah again for a colleague who has not fulfilled his obligation: If the later is able to recite the blessings preceding the Megillah on his own, he should do so. If, however, one is reading for a woman, it is preferable that the reader [alter the text of the blessing and] recites: "...asher kid'shonu b'mitzvosov v'tzivonu lishmo'ah Megillah" (1) (ending the blessing with "...commanded us...to hear the Megillah" rather than "to read the Megillah") (2).

FOOTNOTES:

(1) Some say "lishmo'ah MIKRAH Megillah" (Mishna Berura 689:8).

(2) This is because a woman might be obligated only to hear the Megillah, but not to read it (Mishna Berurah 689:7). If a woman has nobody to read for her, she should read it for herself from a kosher Megillah, but should still end the blessing preceding the Megillah with ".,,Li'shmoah mikrah Megillah" ("to hear the Megillah") (Ibid. 689:8).

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