Halakhah su Salmi 119:126

Both Rabbi Rabinovitch and Dayan Rapoport show that the resolution of this question is contingent upon an analysis of a ruling of the Gemara, Gittin 60a. The Gemara asserts that, in transcribing any of the prophetic works, any single book of the Prophets must be written in its entirety, i.e., the writing of a partial book is forbidden. In this context the Gemara refers to a Sefer Aftarta, a book of haftorot, written on parchment in the manner of a Torah scroll, but containing only the prophetic selections read on the Sabbath to the exclusion of the remainder of the text of the books of the Prophets. Rabbah and Rav Yosef forbade not only the writing, but also the use, of such scrolls on the Sabbath. The Gemara, however, concludes that it is permissible to use such scrolls, explaining that since not every community can afford a set of complete scrolls, the requirement that only complete books be written is suspended. Rabbinic hermeneutics found sanction for this practice in Psalms 119:126 which was interpreted by the Sages as meaning, "At a time when it is necessary to work for the Lord, make void Thy law." The Sages understood this verse as granting dispensation to abrogate the prohibition against transcribing incomplete books of the Bible.

Certainly, it is permissible for any person to read or to study from a Torah scroll at any time. Indeed, the original biblical rule was that the Written Law may be studied only from a written text, which by definition means a Sefer Torah written on parchment in the prescribed manner. Two thousand years ago that would have been the only permissible way of studying the words of the Torah. But rabbinic exegesis renders Psalms 119:126 as "It is time to act on behalf of God; thwart Thy Torah." This verse is understood as teaching that when it becomes impossible to transmit the Oral Law without committing it to writing or when it becomes impossible to teach the Written Law solely by means of a properly written scroll, other methods may be used. Hence, today there is absolutely no cogent reason for utilizing a Torah scroll rather than a printed text for purposes of Torah study. On the contrary, use of an unvocalized text can only lead to error and yield misinformation.