Read the Parashah Read the Haftarah One of the hazards of dealing with technology is its built-in obsolescence. The computer that you bought two years ago is suddently too slow, too short on memory to perform even the simplest task. It is true that the frenetic pace of change in today's society accentuates the problem, but it is a fact of the natural world that every product of human hands has a limit to its useful lifespan. Even those human creations which do not become obsolete must someday wear out. Even clothing that withstands the whims of fashion must eventually become too stained or threadbare to be worn.
Ritual objects wear out, too.
The threads of a tallit fray, whether used daily or weekly or thrice yearly. A bible or prayerbook will reach the point where its binding is too broken, its pages too smudged and torn. A Torah scroll is much more sacred, and much harder to replace. It may have its cracked or faded letters repaired many times, but eventually, the decision must be made that it is beyond repair. The tradition teaches us that ritual objects which have outlived their usefulness deserve a measure of respect.