155. Torn Stitches, Wax Drippings

24:11 If the stitches between two sections of parchment tear, if the major part is still sewn together, we may read from the Torah. If not, another Torah must be taken out for use. If there is no other Torah and the tear is in the book that we need to read from, we may not do so unless at least five stitches remain. If the tear is in a different book, we may read from it even if only two stitches remain.

24:12 If wax dripped onto a letter or a word, if it was found on a weekday, we may remove it. If it was found on Shabbos or Yom Tov and the letters can still be seen, we may read from that Torah. However, if the letters are obscured by the wax, if it is in a place where we don't need to read, we may use the Torah and recite the blessings on the aliyos. However, if the wax obscures a letter in a place where we need to read, we may not use the Torah since it is prohibited to read even one word not from the text (i.e., by heart). Therefore, if the wax can be removed indirectly, such as if folding the parchment will cause it to fall off, we try to do so. If not, we may not use that sefer Torah. When removing wax during the week, if it is on God's Name, we must be extremely careful not to erase the letters. Rather, the wax should be heated from the outside so that it comes off easily.