Pasul, again

[magid]

Shabbat morning I davened at Tehillah. During the second aliyah the lainer found a problem with the sefer Torah, serious enough to pasul it.

The decision: read the rest of the parasha without aliyot (and the person currently receiving an aliyah did not say the after-bracha). No maftir, and kaddish was moved after the haftarah (I think; it was definitely moved later). Regular hagbah, glilah, and returning of the sefer Torah.

This is not the first, nor the second, time an error has been found in this sefer Torah. The minyan was given the sefer Torah by Save-a-Torah, which refurbishes sifrei Torah that have survived the Holocaust but no longer have communities to use them. I talked with one of the minyan chairs during kiddush, and apparently the organization checked the whole thing before it arrived, 'by computer.' I'm not really sure what that means. Last time there was an error found, there happened to be a sofer in town who could do the fix quickly, but now there is the question of whether it's necessary to have the whole scroll checked by a human, which costs serious money, not easy for a small minyan to afford.

The minyan meets Shabbat morning only twice/solar month, so there are parshiyot that have not yet been read, and I wonder how many other issues there might be.


As always, if there are words you'd like explicated, let me know; I'm lazy enough not to bother unless someone asks.

Comments

[rethought.livejournal.com]

(Got all the words this time. Whee!)

It was unsettling enough the first time, I'm sure having a second round doesn't help.

Also, do you know what one must do to be a sofer?

[magid.livejournal.com]

Actually, this is apparently the third time; I missed one.

And to be a sofer, it takes an apprenticeship; not sure how long (it probably ranges). There's a lot to learn.

PS

[magid.livejournal.com]

And yay for getting all the words!
:-)

[rhysara.livejournal.com]

There were more normal words in this one than usual, wheee context clues.

I got, "there were random errors in the text that shouldn't be there, so we stopped reading and need to figure out if this is a bigger problem. This could cost a lot of money to find out and fix."

[magid.livejournal.com]

About right.

There was one error (this time), we continued reading but without the regular rituals, and need to find out if it is a bigger problem due to previous errors already found."

And checking an entire scroll takes serious time (think about comparing every letter in every word in the 5 books of the "old testament" to a known-to-be-good copy, both of which are handwritten, likely by different people), and therefore money. (Sample column.)

[danger-chick.livejournal.com]

Exactly how was the error caught then? Was it just obvious?

[magid.livejournal.com]

The reader* noticed something that didn't look right, consulted the two people there who check the reader's chanting, and they conferred with some other knowledgeable people. If the minyan had an official rabbinic decisor, he'd've looked it over.

* Reader, in this case, meaning someone who has learned to chant part of the week's portion according to the traditional cantillation. Since a scroll has no vowels, punctuation, or cantillation marks, the reader has to know the section fairly well to be able to read accurately.

[fj.livejournal.com]

Since a scroll has no vowels, punctuation, or cantillation marks, the reader has to know the section fairly well to be able to read accurately.

That's the contextual part I was looking for, as the question I had was 'This guy knows every passage well enough by heart to spot mistakes?'

How does one get a section assigned? Is the whole community involved?

[magid.livejournal.com]

How does one get a section assigned? Is the whole community involved?
The mechanisms vary by community, but in general people volunteer. There's one person coordinating in advance, and if there aren't enough volunteers, the coordinator may call some people of known ability and ask them to take some/all of the reading.

In some places the usual practice is for someone to read all of that week's portion (the five books are divided into 54 weekly portions, some of which are doubled-up when it isn't a leap year (leap years have a thirteenth month)), while in others people take whichever aliya (or aliyot) they'd like. A weekly portion is divided into 7 aliyot, but they're not equal length at all, so a person new to reading Torah might choose one that's shorter, or one with familiar language.

In most Orthodox communities, it's only men who are eligible to read. In a few Orthodox and most other denominations it is accepted that both men and women read.

[fj.livejournal.com]

Do you?

[magid.livejournal.com]

Nope. Or, not yet, maybe. I used to in college, but wasn't very good, and had a hard time when I was roped into reading part of the megillah (same kind of scroll, but of the book of Esther) at the last minute, which was traumatizingly bad.

On the plus side, my Hebrew's much better, as is my knowledge of cantillation. If I can get over the performance anxiety, and find a short aliyah, perhaps.

It's a lot easier being lazy.

[(Anonymous)]

At many shuls, there are a couple of experienced baalei koreh (Torah readers) who handle this responsibility throughout the year, rather than volunteers being sought week to week.

And of course on the big day b'nai mitzvah are called to the Torah to read.

[magid.livejournal.com]

You're right. I'm so used to what happens in the minyanim around here that it feels like how things are everywhere (that there isn't a designated reader every week, like a cantor).

[(Anonymous)]

Thanks. Only meant to add information, not correct you.

PS

[magid.livejournal.com]

Wikipedia to the rescue: "...a sefer Torah contains 304,805 letters..."

Re: PS

[fairdice.livejournal.com]

"... more or less", in the unfortunate case. :-(

Re: PS

[magid.livejournal.com]

Yeah.

So far, I don't think we're off on letter count, at least.

Re: PS

[(Anonymous)]

I never thought to wonder about that. That's pretty cool.

The prime factors of 304,805 are 5 and 60961. Five for the five chumshei and 60961 for . . . ?

Re: PS

[magid.livejournal.com]

I never thought to factor the number! I bet there's gematria out there about it.

The first hits on Google for 60961 show it's the zip code for Reddick, IL. Not the most useful connection...

Re: PS

[(Anonymous)]

If a shul in Reddick needs to raise money for a Torah, maybe it could be a useful connection?

Re: PS

[magid.livejournal.com]

*grin*

Definitely.

Probability of shuls in Reddick... not so much.

Re: PS

[(Anonymous)]

Hee hee!

[cellio]

Ouch. Yeah, it sure sounds like that's going to have to be checked. :-(

(Of course, I am not a posak; this is not a p'sak.)

[magid.livejournal.com]

I don't know the halachot about it well enough to say that it's required, but at this point, it sure does seem like something that ought to be done. This sefer Torah arrived last spring, and three errors seems pretty high to me.

(IANAP just doesn't have the same recognition-factor as IANAL, does it?)

[cellio]

I'm not up on the halachot either. As a practical measure, it sounds like it would be wise for the reader to look over each portion before the reading, so at least there are no surprises during the service. Now that it's happened three times it can't really come as a surprise if it happens a fourth time, so I'm not sure if differences in leniency l'hatchila vs. b'diavad would be relevant.

Yeah, IANAP (or IANAR) just doesn't have the same recognition factor. :-)

[magid.livejournal.com]

There's usually 7 readers each Shabbat, not one, which makes it less likely that people will look it over inside. Plus, if someone does and it's too close to Shabbat to get it fixed, it means that there's no sefer Torah to use l'chatchila, which presumably has its own issues.

[(Anonymous)]

Computer checking sometimes finds things that today's examiners miss. It seems to be a helpful technology when used in conjunction with checking by humans. It isn't supposed to take the place of examinations by humans, but can serve as a second set of "eyes" that has a different approach to checking.

I wonder whether any organizations exist to help defray the cost of checking or assist in raising funds for checking. I would think the Stam councils aren't in it only for the money and would want for everyone to be using only kosher scrolls.

It's always a good idea for the readers to keep an eye out for any problems. I don't know the halakhah, but I wouldn't be surprised if it turns out halakhah dictates that once three problems are found within one year the Torah is considered pasul until completely examined.

[magid.livejournal.com]

I hadn't heard that there was such a thing as computer checking until this Shabbos. Technologically, I think it's cool. But I agree that it can't be relied upon as the sole check. I'm not surprised that it would catch different things than a human; even when it's 'just' two humans editing a document, each finds different things. As many pairs of eyes as possible are good (limited by cost and time concerns, of course).

I don't know whether the original organization would help or not; apparently the first time a psul was found, the minyan ended up shipping it back to them to be fixed (not sure whether checked again), and the difficulties of packaging and shipping were noticeable (and something about sending a sefer Torah UPS or Fedex is just wrong), and obviously not sufficient. I don't know whether they'd be willing to pay for a sofer to check it, or split the cost, or not. I haven't looked to see whether there are organizations that would help with the cost specifically.

I assume all readers keep their eyes open. And I don't know the halachah on this one either, but the idea of chazakah with three problems sounds plausible. I wonder whether the minyan will be able to borrow a sefer Torah for davening in two weeks.

[(Anonymous)]

I read a story about a man who had been using for decades tefillin written by a very reputable sofer and had them checked periodically. Eventually he had them checked by computer as well, and it turned out that an entire word was missing.

Related computer technology is also now used in addressing Torah theft and scroll forgery.

Yes, shipping a Torah like that does seem wrong. I feel like a Torah should be accompanied by a human when traveling. Like, it should get its own seat on El Al.

It sounds like it would be a tricky situation, as this Torah was given to the minyan by a charitable organization in the first place. But one would think that an organization that refurbishes Torahs for the purpose of saving them would have sofers actually examine the entire scroll as part of the process.

When a shul or minyan has only one Torah and reads full kriyah every week, the Torah ends up being casually checked over the course of each year. But this minyan doesn't meet every week.

I'm pleased that you think my idea seems plausible. I like that I was able to have that instinct.

I hope everything works out in a timely manner, easily and halakhically.

[magid.livejournal.com]

Oh, wow, an entire word missing? Hard to imagine that people would consistently miss that.

I can imagine sifrei Torah being marked somehow ("invisible" ink at the end of the klaf, maybe?) to make them more identifiable, including a mention of the original sofer, if known. (Forging a sefer Torah is just so obviously wrong. I mean, people can justify not treating others nicely because of some outstanding circumstances or whatever, but forgery and fraud about a sefer Torah? It's sad that this happens.)

I agree about shipping: I'd think a sefer Torah would be like a Stradivarius, with a person and its own seat and all.

I assumed that the organization had a full sofer check, but perhaps it was a computer check with a sofer fixing whatever was found (and perhaps looking over adjacent areas?).

A shul that you describe does casually check the Torah every year, though it depends also on the knowledge of the lainers.

Thanks for your good wishes. I haven't heard anything else yet.

[(Anonymous)]

It is surprising, but I can totally believe it would happen. The human examiners I suppose concentrated more on the status of the letters that were there, checking for wear and such. A computer can easily check that no words are missing. A computer doesn't make the assumptions that humans make.

That's a neat idea, but doesn't seem right to me, adding information to a Torah scroll like that. The computerized identification system doesn't alter the scroll, the analysis seems incredibly in-depth, and the information is stored in centralized databases.

See http://chareidi.shemayisrael.com/archives5766/YSR66features.htm for a fascinating article.

I agree about misconduct involving a Torah being beyond wrong. That article in fact describes imprisoned Torah thieves being beaten by other prisoners who share this sentiment.

Actual forgeries are probably more common with tefillin and mezuzot, but Torah scrolls can be fraudulent in other ways.

Interesting that that would be done for a Stradivarius.

I too would assume the former; I find that latter unacceptable, because a sofer and not the computer should be the lead examiner in such a situation.

Indeed, casually, not necessarily by experts.

You are welcome. I'm interested to know what happens.

[magid.livejournal.com]

That makes sense about computer v. human checkers. It still doesn't give me the warm fuzzies, though.

I wasn't thinking of it as adding to the sefer Torah, though perhaps I should have. I was thinking of something more like a pattern of Braille dots not close to the text at all, over where the klaf is attached to the aytzim. Not writing, exactly, but a way to identify. But the system described in the article is much better, of course. I hadn't thought that someone would be so nefarious as to make a Frankeinstein Torah, with pieces from here and there.

It's hard to believe it's such a widespread problem, even when the article has so many instances to cite. Ouch.

[(Anonymous)]

Human checkers should indeed be active, suspectful, and thorough in approach, but it seems good that computer checking is available to help bridge the gap when humans fall short.

No, you were clear, I could tell what you meant. It's just that even adding information that way strikes me as improper.

Best part of the article:

We're from Mishmeres Stam!
We know your mezuzas are printed!
You can either cooperate with us or cooperate with the police!

Totally classic movie dialogue, isn't it? (Exclamation points added by me.)

It is indeed upsetting. It's unfortunately been a reality for a long time.

[magid.livejournal.com]

Totally classic movie dialogue, isn't it?
Yes! I can totally see an ArtScroll movie with this in it :-)

[(Anonymous)]

*grin* Glad you agree!