Rite and Reason by Shmuel Pinchas Gelbard 
Q The Magen Avraham mentions (in the name of the ARI Z"L) the custom of spreading two table cloths, one over the other, on the Shabbat table. What is the reason for this custom?

A Keeping the table covered on Shabbat is an expression of honoring the day. When the upper cloth is removed to shake out the crumbs (and/or to change from meat to milk or vice versa) the other cloth remains on the table.

A If the tablecloth is spread a TEFACH or more on each side beyond the table's edge, this may be regarded as erecting a temporary tent, a violation on Shabbat. If there is already a cloth on the table, then adding a second cloth would at most be considered as adding to an existing "tent", which is permitted.

Note that the first answer is a KAVOD issue; the second is possibly halachic. Ask your Rav. 

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Hasidic Wisdom from the book by Simcha Raz (Elkins/Elkins)
There are two levels of wisdom and two levels of foolishness: There are those who are born wise and those who acquire wisdom. Likewise, there are those who are born fools and those who become foolish. 
- Rabbi Shalom Dov Ber of Lubavitch 

Every person possesses one valuable trait that cannot be found in any other. 
- Rabbi Pinchas of Koretz 

ASK THE VEBBE REBBE
From the virtual desk of the OU Vebbe Rebbe The Orthodox Union – via its website – fields questions of all types in the areas of kashrut, Jewish law and values. Some of the questions are answered by Eretz Hemdah, the Institute for Advanced Jewish Studies, Jerusalem, founded by HaRav Shaul Yisraeli, zt"l to prepare rabbanim and dayanim to serve the National Religious community in Israel and abroad. The Ask the Rabbi project is a joint venture of the OU, Yerushalayim Network, Eretz Hemdah... and the Israel Center. The following is a Q&A from Eretz Hemdah... 

Question:
You and others publish parsha sheets which are distributed in shul. You are probably aware that people read these at various times during davening. Is this proper?

Answer: 
Reading divrei Torah (to which I will limit this answer) during davening raises several issues: 
1)Hefsek an interruption in the midst of a mitzva or text where it is improper; 
2) lack of concentration on the matter which one should be involved in; 
3) creating a negative atmosphere or precedent which may be copied improperly; 
4) Derech Eretz. Let’s now analyze each issue.
1) Interruption - One may not speak even divrei Torah in the following places: 
(a) Psukei D'zimra (SA, OC 51:4);
(b) Shma and its brachot (Rama, OC 68:1); 
(c) Shmoneh Esrei (OC 104).
However, according to most poskim, thinking or even reading is not considered a formal interruption. This is based on the rule "Hirhur Lav K'dibbur" (thinking is not like speaking) - see Brachot 20b; Rama OC 68:1; Har Tzvi, OC 42. While it is proper to concentrate on tefila during tefila, reading is not a formal interruption (see fascinating story about the Vilna Gaon in Yabia Omer IV, OC. 8).
2,3) Lack of concentration, atmosphere - During Kriyat HaTorah (SA 146:2; Biyur Halacha, ad loc.); Kaddish, Kedusha, Shmoneh Esrei... one should not be thinking about other things. Regarding the repetition of Shmoneh Esrei, Magen Avraham 124:8 brings two opinions as to whether it is permissible for one who will be careful to answer AMEN properly, to learn. The Mishna Brura 124:17 prefers the strict opinion, out of fear that others will learn to abuse this leniency. Igrot Moshe, OC IV 19 points out that there needs to be at least nine people who are listening to every word in order to entertain such a leniency for others. Between aliyot one can permit himself to learn, while being careful to stop as the next aliya begins (see Mishna Brura 146:6). Before the beginning of Chazarat HaShatz, most poskim permit silent learning.
4) As Derech Eretz Kodma L'Torah. it is improper to read during the dvar Torah of the rabbi or a fellow congregant.In summary, while parsha sheets are sometimes read at times when it is forbidden or questionable, they seem to have replaced a lot of talking and less holy thoughts in many of our shuls. Therefore, on the whole, they seem to have added more to the spirituality of our Batei Knesset than they have detracted.
This “Ask the Rabbi” Q&A is part of this week’s Hemdat Yamim, the parsha sheet published by Eretz Hemdah. You can read this section or the entire Hemdat Yamim at www.ou.org or www.eretzhemdah.org. If you would like to receive Hemdat Yamim by e-mail, on a weekly basis, please send an e-mail to lists@eretzhemdah.org with the message Join Hemdatya. Please leave the subject blank. 

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