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To Take or Not to Take out...another Sefer Torah
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
Letter is broken in the middle. The remaining part does not have the shape of the letter.
Letter does not have the proper shape: eg. the 'Beith' is rounded on the bottom and may be read 'Caff' by a child.
Letters are touching and the connection changes the shape of the letters: eg. a child might read 'Mem' instead of 'Beith'
NOT to TAKE OUT
Letter is partially broken and the main part may be read correctly 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 connected but the shape does not appear changed and a child would read 'Beit' and 'Resh.'