QUESTION

Maryland, USA

Unfortunately, we have some papers with sheimot on them that got sopping wet. If I pick them up the paper will certainly turn to mush and sheim HaShem will be destroyed. I can also wait for it to dry potentially and then put in sheimot but that requires leaving it on the ground. Thoughts?

ANSWER

There are definitely positions that mass printed papers made for disposal don’t have a din of sheimot. Although that is not the lekhatchilah position I take, it is worth keeping in mind. In this case, I would say better to leave them on the ground than to actively do something that would further destroy them.