Noach and water damage

[hatam_soferet]

In this week’s parasha, water covers the face of the earth, so I’m going to share some pictures of various kinds of damage water can do to Torah scrolls.

Water damage happens from leaky roofs, but it also happens from sweat and spit, and from being stored in damp or humid locations. Wrapping a scroll tightly in plastic is a bad idea, because whatever moisture is trapped inside the plastic (and there will be some) will not be able to dry off.

If you’re very lucky, your water damage will only make the letters a little bit fuzzy and hard to read.

This is damage from sweat droplets. Fortunately, the rabbi had a tissue handy, and mopped up most of the sweat right away, before it had time to soak into the parchment. Multiple letters still needed repairing; when ink spreads such that letters touch each other, they’re not kosher any more and have to be repaired.

Water damage often causes ugly discolouration, and sometimes there is not much we can do about that. Also, sometimes the words are impossible to repair, because the water has made ink spread all through the parchment.

Here, water damage has caused the parchment to wrinkle. Removing wrinkles can sometimes be attempted, but it isn’t cheap. Wrinkles are bad for the parchment; they make it much more likely to tear. They also make life hard for the reader.

This sefer was stored for a long time in a damp location. The coating on the back of the scroll stuck to the letters, and when the scroll was opened, the letters peeled off. This scroll will have to be mostly rewritten.

To avoid water damage, consider keeping your sefarim in an environment with a dehumidifier. If your readers are prone to sweating, buy them headbands. Keep tissues on the bima in case of accidents. Don’t keep sefarim in closets built into external walls; such closets are generally damp. Generally remember that Torah scrolls are quite delicate when it comes to water, and act accordingly.

Mirrored from hasoferet.com.

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

Re the second example: It's ironic that the word המים was water-damaged.
-- Art Werschulz