Kosher or Not?

 

A Torah scroll in which a mistake is found in the spelling of a word, a broken letter, letters connected to one another, or having a missing or superfluous word has to be repaired in the next thirty days. If the problem is found during the time of the public reading, like Shabbat morning during the Torah service, what should be done? Must another Torah be taken out to continue the reading?

 

Here are the main types of problems and whether they require replacing a scroll or not:

 

TAKE OUT A SECOND TORAH

NO NEED TO TAKE OUT A SECOND TORAH

 

Letter is broken in the middle. The remaining part does not have the shape of the letter

 

Letter is partially broken and the main part may be read correctly by a child.

 

 Letter does not have the proper shape: eg. the 'Beith' is rounded on the bottom and may be read 'Caff' by a child.

 

 

Letter is missing the tail of the 'Beith' but it is very square and a child would not confuse it with a 'Caf.'

 

Letters are touching and the connection changes the shape of the letters: eg. a child might read 'Mem' instead of 'Beith'

 

 

Letters are connected but the shape does not appear changed and a child would read 'Beit' and 'Resh.'

 

HOME