Chitas in English for the Palm OS Device

Chitas in English

ChitasInEnglish@netscape.net


Table of Contents
1. Preface
2. Introduction
2.1. Chitas Study Cycle
3. The Reader Software
3.1. Copyright & Download
3.2. Hebrew Fonts
4. Chumash Text with Rashi
4.1. Credit
4.2. Contribution of 'Chitas in English'
4.3. Download
4.4. Logic of the Presentation
4.5. Features
5. Contact Info

1. Preface

One of the reasons why I bought a Palm OS powered CLIE was to be able to study Chitas in English on the go. I was rather disappointed to find out that it was not readily available for download.

After finding a freely available software that was especially designed to display two related texts on one screen, I set out to turn the Chumash text and Rashi's commentary into a format that this software can display. I am sharing the results here with you.

The screenshots throughout this document have resolution 160x160.


2. Introduction

2.1. Chitas Study Cycle

As instituted by the Previous Lubavitcher Rebbe, the Rebbe Rayatz: Chumash, Tehillim, Tanya.

The following are excerpts from Sefer HaMinhagim, The Book of Chabad-Lubavitch Customs (complete entry):

  1. Chumash with the Commentary of Rashi: Every day one studies one passage of the current week's Sidra [i.e., the Sidra to be publicly read on the forthcoming Shabbos] with the commentary of Rashi. Thus, on the first day of the week one reaches Sheini, on the second one reaches Shlishi, and so on. [...]

  2. Tehillim: After the morning prayers every day including Shabbos, Yom-Tov, Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur [after Mussaf] one recites chapters of Tehillim as apportioned for the days of the month. [...] When the 29th is the last day of the month, one reads the portion for the 30th day as well.[...] As is well known, Tehillim (including the above-mentioned daily portion) is not read at night, from the appearance of the stars until after midnight. However, one does study Chumash and Tanya. The above restriction does not apply on Rosh HaShanah, the Days of Penitence, Yom Kippur and Hoshana Rabbah.

  3. Tanya: The daily passages should be studied as set out in the annual study guide entitled Moreh Shiur [which appears as the first appendix to all current editions of the Tanya].

Above you see a screenshot displaying Bereishit 35:5 with Rashi (Parshat Vayishlach, 5th portion, about 38th verse in this portion).


3. The Reader Software

As I mentioned already in Section 1, the only work I did on this project was converting the existing text to a format that the reader software can present. I was completly relying on preexisting text and software. Below you can see the "About" screen of the reader software.


3.1. Copyright & Download

This software is distributed under the GNU General Public License. You may download the software

Please, see the license (also included with the above distributions) for all terms and conditions including the fact that the software is provided with NO warranty.

Installing and using the program from the compiled distribution above is straightforward. (Note: Sometimes you do need to reset your PDA after installing a new text for the reader, and occasionally the reader does crash the OS and then you have to do the pin-in-the-hole trick. This happens rather seldom, and so far I have not found it too disruptive.)


4. Chumash Text with Rashi

4.1. Credit

The text for the reader software was entirely derived from Chabad.org's Daily Study sections. In the footer of each of their Chumash with Rashi pages they indicate that the text is "Graciously provided & © by Judaica Press". Following that link takes you to a page with the contact information for Judaica Press, and a link to their product order page where you can order "The Judaica Press Complete Tanach with Rashi" on CD.

At the bottom of each of the Chumash and Rashi pages Chabad.org also indicates "© 2001-2003 Chabad-Lubavitch Media Center."


4.3. Download

The .pdb files (zipped):

Just HotSync them to your PDA and they will be available from the reader.


5. Contact Info

Please, send me your comments, suggestions or any other feedback you might have.

Or just drop a note saying you are using this Chumash with Rashi text to study Chumash Chitas on your PDA.

Address:

Looking forward to hearing from you.