=redmesa1 This will be a readme doc for http://briefcase.yahoo.com/rsclist2003 and is cc'd to: http://briefcase.yahoo.com/sa73122a (which Briefcase is also Access-able to anyone signing on to yahoo.com as rsclist2003 password mamash ) The readme doc is by Steve Amdur docname is =redmesa1 These notes apply primarily to the above-referenced /rsclist2003 Briefcase. However, I'll post them also as a readme to to the /sa73122a Briefcase, until I write a more appropriate readme doc for that Briefcase. This is a top-of-the-head doc; not neatly organized. There are some errors (eg folder-names) and I'm sure uninteresting typos in this doc; apologies. My interest and focus is Archiving, not outreach. That means that my transcripts are over-informative; a bumpy road to read. Most of my intejections are enclosed in {squiggly-braces}, so you can remove them all by writing and running a simple macro: Find { ; Start highlight; Find }; End highlight; Delete highlighted text; Go to Line 1; If no more { found, then END . However, note that my interjections include tape-position reference numbers eg {200}; to facilitate checking/correcting of my transcriptions against tape. Again: anyone who makes changes on my docs, please note that at the top of the doc; change the docname, and add a note at the top of the doc noting the derivation of your renamed doc. That's all for archival accountability. As noted elsewhere, I assert no claims upon any RSC docs that I've typed; but note that others may wish and/or chose to assert such claims. I do very little editting nor paraphrasing of RSC transriptions, and always clearly indicate whatever editting (and as I recall paraphrasing) that I do. (In my earliest transcriptions, ca. '86- '88, I did some editting; but I think noted it.) If anyone figures out how to write real Macro's in EinsteinWriter, do let me know. To work with this material, you will need 3 small program files, all included: W.EXE , T.EXE , PKUNZIP.EXE ETRANS.EXE is usable but not really needed; T.EXE works as well or better, and more easily. If you use ETRANS.EXE , the syntax is ETRANS /E /NJ {inputfile} {outputfile} Oh, I just noticed, and this may be important: ETRANS /R {inputfile} {outputfile} is the syntax for a reverse- convert of an ASCII file into an EinsteinWriter file. So that should knock out the required CR's (LL=60 chars) in T.EXE's *.txt converts (or maybe that was just my old version of T.EXE that put in required CR's after each 60 chars). Note that EinsteinWriter files do not ordinarily have a suffix. Also note that suffixes do not affect the file; only the recognition of the file by Microsoft programs. I sometimes add the suffix *.ein to EinsteinWriter files, just for easier reognition by humans. Microsoft took over the *.doc suffix for WORD/Windows docs, and took over the *.txt suffix for text coverts of docs. In the good old days, before the Microsoft Dinosaurs, when Endusers were free, our people sometimes used *.doc suffix for text docs. (As in, eg, readme.doc ; upon which generic docname I worked various variants, eg whatsup.doc ). These all run under MS-DOS; I don't know how they do under Windows. W.EXE does not work in a large (eg 1 Gb or larger) hard-disc; I've had almost now problems running it on a virtual 100 Mb disk. And of course one can always run it on a 3.5" 1.4 Mb "floppy" in the A-drive. As noted elsewhere: T.EXE is 20,794 K . Be sure you use the 20,794K version. There is also a 20,799 K version that does not run; it locks up. (Maybe a corruption; maybe a copy-protection; I don't know.) The date , 11 Aug 87 , is the same; so is the time. This T.EXE 20,794 K version seems to preserve Hebrew text, even Hebrew text included with an English-text line. In '98-'99 I used (and posted to my Website) a T.EXE that apparently stripped out Hebrew text; that's why I started including transliterations within my retypes of material transcribed/input by EW. The only problem I've so far found is that a Save command provoks a bleep and the false error-message, Unable to rename document. Just repeat the Save command (F5 + Return) twice more; on the third try, it saves docilely. You are left, as a sort of donkey- drop bonus, with two saved *.$* files; every so often, add those to cybercompost by typing a del *.$* command at the DOS prompt. I'd assume one could run W.EXE on a CD-ROM, at least with a virtual-drive partition on the CD-ROM. (BZ remarks that there is now software to add partitions (virtual drives) to a disk that is in use, without having to download/reformat/upload .) But I've not tried that yet on a CD. If anyone does, please drop me a note. W.EXE is EinsteinWriter 8.2 , which is what I use for a word- processing program. (MicroSoft WORD is merely a passing fad, I reckon. In Israel anyhow; we're too smart to be stuck for long in a small space with all those Microsoft Dinosaurs.) T.EXE is EinsteinWriter's convert program, to take files input under W.EXE into ASCII . Once converted into ASCII, such files can be Open'd without problems, as far as I know, under Windows into WORD There are some other *.exe files in the RShlomo folder on http://briefcase.yahoo.com/sa73122a Those *.exe files are self-extracting PKZIP'd (ver. 2/93) files, using PKZIP's ZIP2EXE.EXE (which I no longerhave.) So in short, you can safely download and run those *.exe bundles. I now run Norton Anti-Virus 2004 with all the recommended settings (on-line, recent full scan; no comuter virus reported). Now then: in regard to this /rsclist2003 Brieface: So far I've created 3 folders: [ I don't exactly remember my foldernames; and don't want to go outdoors to look them up; it's a cold night, and we don't have broadband here yet. (Just have broadband 3 km. down the road, in the instant city of Modi'in.) Maybe they think we're a themepark.] Folder readmef1 -- To hold readme docs Folder saarch1 -- This folder is to hold my RSC archives. Most of this material has been previously posted. Originally, it was Posted to the reb-shlomo LIST ca. 2/98--6/99 and was made available on my now-defunct Website, http://www.kinneret.co.il/sa9802 I do not presently have access to all the files posted on that Website. Thanks to yc, I have now retrieved most of the RSC material from that Website, and will re-post it ASAP, as appropriate. Specific requests and questions may be addressed to me at sa73122a@yahoo.com I am still missing a few files from the bottom of that Website. In particular, I ain't got my collection of Wedding transcriptions (none of which I transcribed; the project was begun under Alon Teager at Meor Modi'in prior to 1986; EW did many of the transcripts; Ilana Schachter then worked on a Wedding Book ca. '98-'99. I dashed off a set of topical excerpts from those transcripts; a sort of stage-by-stage how-to-do-a-RSC-Wedding handbook. I don't now have those excerpts; I did sent a set to Ilana Schachter, and if I recall to the RSC Foundation. I would also appreciate hearing from anyone who has copies of any of the non-RSC material on that Website; so that I can request a copy of same. Most of the material in this Archive folder has been posted as individual *.zip and *.exe (self-extracting PKZIP'd files) files to my Briefcase at http://briefcase.yahoo.com/sa73122a This Archive folder presently (1 Dec '03; 6 Kislev) holds two files: =sa497zip.zip 1,220.651 K 30 Nov '03 =sa497azp.zip 725.452 K 30 Nov '03 Both those files are predominantly zip-zip's; that is, zip's of previously zip'd collections. Both hold RSC material transcribed / collected / written by me (sa) prior to ca. 4/97. I'll try to describe that material more fully in a readme doc to be written and posted to http://briefcase.yahoo.com/sa73122a There are also detailed descriptions in various readme docs contained within the inv*.* files in http://briefcase.yahoo.com/sa73122a Details follow: =sa497zip.zip 1,220.651K Zipzip'd 30 Nov '03 ZIP of /steve497 sa rsc docs preserved by H&HS Mevo Modi'in Contains: =beadme.doc (Readme doc in *.txt; gives details on the following docs (and those in /stev497a) =learning.zip (sa RSC transcripts in W.EXE ) =revised.zip (minor revisions of docs posted to LISST or Website, as I reall) =extracts.zip (short extracts, as I recll) =kids1094 (short excerpts on children, compiled ca. 1986; I may have editted RSC's wording). =snippets.zip (more excerpts; I think I note the distinction in the readme docs) =nu3969 (then-new RSC (sa) transcripts, from 3/96 to '9') =rebbes94 -- my excerpts of RSC remarks on hasidic rebbes. Most of those excerpts are taken from transcripts by EW (EW = Rbtzn. Emunah Witt) and so should be futher circulated only with her OK =sa497azp.zip 725.452 K 30 Nov '03 This is a Zipzip of /stev497a , sa RSC docs preserved by H&HS, Meor Modi'in =yomtov94.zip RSC on the Yom Tov 's . Excerpted & ordered by sa. For EW material, see remarks on =rebbe94.zip =shmemos.zip -- Some of my Memos on RSC material; but does not include most of the good memos that I wrote, most on Archiving. =journals.zip -- Retypes of some articles in HBG (Holy Beggars' Gazette) and in Connections. Probably includes 'And Esther wrote', which is a strong statement by RSC on the role of women in Judaism. I'm concerned that the nearest-possible-verbatim transcripts of RSC material be available to juxtapose with edits of same. Traductore trattore as they say in old Napoli. So too with us Editors. =sh11969 -- RSC transcripts by sa from 11/96 to '9' 'Inventory' docs: These are listings of the then-extant RSC material, in all media. =inv9496r is an important listing; it includes my lising, in '94 as I recall, of the Witt collection of transcripts. =invsh97 is a listing of additional RSC material; compiled in 1997. =inv96junk is a listing of RSC material of, arguable, relatively less importance. =shmusic6 In '99, if memory serves, I took a break from my major ongoing project of reinventing the wheel, to re-input Velvel Pasternak's (and BZ's) collections of RSC songs; using my own Hebrew transcription system (which is ASCII-based, and enables unequivocal reconstruction of the Hebrew original, albeit without nekudot, from teh transcription); and my own ASCII music- transcription system (which BZ et al. pointed out had been designed by others), from which one can adequately reconstruct the tune, provided, of course, that one knew it beforehand. ( My concern had been to provide a light-weight alternative for carrying RSC songs while traveling Super-Economy class; the paperback version tended to blow off the wing whenever the plane banked on approaching an airport.) But I digress. Thanks to the Electronic Lilliputians, we are now free of that awesome responsibility; we can elide, homogenize, tendentiously compress & juxtapose all we want, without fear of leading the innocent reader astray, for he (women are smarter than that) can always juxtapose our edit with the verbatim original/ W.EXE's Compose mode, which offers a 2-document horizontal- split screen, is especially well-suited to juxtaposing an edit with its verbatim original. To do that in the Good Old Days, one needed a large oak desk and reasonably well-pointed elbows; plus, of course, a library reading room. What I'm trying not to say here now is: Theres's a book (published by Jason Aronson, a most honorable new publishing house) of edited articles from HBG='Holy Beggars' Gazette'. Note that http://briefcase.yahoo.com/sa73122a holds much RSC material not posted to the /rsclist2003 Briefcase. RSC material on /sa73122a not posted to /rsclist2003 includes: RSC material transcribed / collected / written 2/98--6/99 New RSC transcriptions (sa) 6/-'03--date And may include other RSC material. As to the format of my RSC material. I work under MS-DOS using EinsteinWriter (W.EXE), which files convert to ASCII (*.txt) using EinsteinWriter's T.EXE One can also convert them using EinsteinWriter's ETRANS.EXE I have hitherto ZIP'd files using PKZIP.EXE (2/93 version), which ZIP's Unzip using PKUNZIP.EXE I am now using WINZIP 8.1 . So far I have used it only for these Zip'd-zips. I downloaded WINZIP from http://www.refdesk.com , without hassles. Files on /sa73122a can be read (but not written to) by anyone logging on as rsclist2003 password mamash Files on /rsclist2003 can be both read and written to by anyone logging on as rsclist2003 password mamash Please don't write to the Archive files. If you want to write to an Archive file, please create a new folder and make a duly note-ed rename of my Archive'd file. Now then: I am nearly unread in Jewish religious studies; and nearly illiterate in Hebrew. All the RSC transcriptions which I have done could use additional work. In particular, they could use corrections of my attempted transcription of RSC's Hebrew quotations; and source-references for those quotations. So I have created on this /rsclist2003 Briefcase a Folder, sashare , to which I intend to add files that need additions / corrections. I would ask that anyone making such additions / corrections note what they have done in a note at the top of the doc, and annotate each individual addition/correction. It seems to me that RSC's teachings are like Wittgenstein's Philosophical Investigations in this respect: That it does not seem difficult to understand what he says; but it is quite difficult to understand why he says it. In the case of RSC that means: difficult for anyone without a solid background in traditional Jewish religious study. (In the case of Wittgenstein it meant: obscure to anyone who had not previously immersed him/her- -self, to an almost Lacoonian extent, in "empiricist" epistemology / theory of meaning ). Which means: there is a real need for annotated versions edition of RSC's teachings. Such annotations would cite amd/or reference relevant passages from Chumash, Talmud, Midrash. I've posted one RSC transcription to this sashare folder; but haven't looked at it; I don't know what, if any, additional work it needs. I assume it needs some additional work. As BZ has pointed out, many of my earlier transcriptions were much in need of correction (as well as annotation). I would encourage anyone to dig out those files and work on them. Again, please write a note within the file indicating what you have done; and initial your corrections / additions. When I transcribe, I indulge myself in writing Comments within the transcription. I usually flag those comments, and then Deep-Six most of them (except for the few that I think might be helpful) to a seperate Notes document. Some of those Notes documents are in the sanotes folder in /sa73122a; they are not appropriate for general distribution; access on request. I do not wish to bring offense or annoyance to anyone; and beg pardon in advance of anyone to whom I have done so. I think there could be a useful role for students of RSC's teachings to offer comments on his teachings. Especially but maybe not exclusively for well-trained students. That could be done in a List-access Briefcase like this one; but that does run the risks associated with an Internet Discussion group. So at least, if anyone wants to do so, create a new folder , in this Briefcase or in your own, for adding comments. As for downloading: Most of my files remain in Einstein-Writer format; this is near-ASCII, but the biggest annoyance is that non- required CR's display as capital-U-umlaut. (And the Line-Length runs on to the edge of the world.) I'm not yet clear how one downloads files in W.EXE format from a Briefcase (or any Internet posting) such that one can then reload them into W.EXE Maybe one needs to download a ZIP'd bundle, then go out of Windows into MS-DOS, then UNZIP (PKUNZIP.EXE will do that), then load W.EXE, then GET the file. [repeat note:] Oh, I just noticed, and this may be important: ETRANS /R {inputfile} {outputfile} is the syntax for a reverse- convert of an ASCII file into an EinsteinWriter file. So that should knock out the required CR's (LL=60 chars) in T.EXE's *.txt convert-files (or maybe that was just my old version of T.EXE that put in required CR's after each 60 chars). As I've noted, there was some Microsoft product prior to 1998 that included a Einstein-to-WORD convert utility; I guess it was Windows 95 Hebrew version. If anyone has a copy of that, please let me know. Present versions of WORD seem to snub EinsteinWriter files. The work-around, as BZ pointed out, is to Open the EinsteinWriter file into Dagesh, then Save-As it as a WORD/Windows file. Well, that's more than enough said. It is, as usual, a pleasant enough morning at Meor Modi'in. The quarter-moon has set, and first-light breaking. The roosters calling to each other across the Moshav. Yakov Rottenberg walks back from standing shmira at the gate. Often, before daybreak, one can hear the muzzein(?) from Media, across the wadi, on the other side of 'Green line'. Sounds mellifluous; without the aggressive harshness one seems sometimes to hear at Kotel Plaza. They say (R.AAT, EG) that Media was the original Makabi settlement; and that from it one could see up the wadi's to Rosh Hodesh bonfire on Har Ha_Bayit; whence the name of this settlement. That's about all I think of for now. Excuse the top-of-the-head writing; maybe some of this info is useful. Drop me a note with corrections / questions. with respects and best wishes to all, Steve Amdur 6 Kislev