I took a piece of paper and tried to follow the instructions in the Rashbam and in Rabbenu Gershom, and I am confused. Line 1 - written, Line 2 blank. Fold line 1 over line 2, and sign on the back of line 1 - sew it. Now, line 3 is written and line 4 is blank. What do I fold over? The package of line 1/2 or line 4 over line 3? If I fold line 4 over line 3, and sew, I will not be able to write on line 5 very well. I definitely have trouble folding line 6 over line 5.
Thank you.
Simon Kahn, Jerusalem, Israel
Continuously fold the written line forward, onto the blank line which follows it, and the the blank remainder will remain flat on the table. That is, fold line 1 over line 2, then leave that "package" and fold line 3 over line 4, etc. You will end up with a fan with the creases in between the written and the blank folded forward.
M. Kornfeld
Here is how I did it a few years ago. Pardon me for explaining it in very simple terms (but that's the only way I understand it).
First, let's work with 4-line Shtar (that is, a Shtar that has 4 lines of text in it), for convenience.
Next, take a piece of paper (I'm working with size A-4) and divide it into 8 equal sections, widthwise, like by drawing a straight line from the left side of the paper to the right side, so that it looks something like this (to be viewed it Courier New, 10 pt.):
- - - - - - - - - - - -
| |
|- - - - - - - - - - - |
| |
|- - - - - - - - - - - |
| |
|- - - - - - - - - - - |
| |
|- - - - - - - - - - - |
| |
|- - - - - - - - - - - |
| |
|- - - - - - - - - - - |
| |
|- - - - - - - - - - - |
| |
- - - - - - - - - - - -
Now, for reference, number the lines like this
- - - - - - - - - - - -
|1 |
|- - - - - - - - - - - |
|2 |
|- - - - - - - - - - - |
|3 |
|- - - - - - - - - - - |
|4 |
|- - - - - - - - - - - |
|5 |
|- - - - - - - - - - - |
|6 |
|- - - - - - - - - - - |
|7 |
|- - - - - - - - - - - |
|8 |
- - - - - - - - - - - -
Now fold line 1 onto line 2. While holding it closed (with your fingers or with tape), fold line 3 onto line 4. To achieve the accordion/fan effect, you will need to fold the back of line 2 onto the back of line 3.
Now do the same with the rest of the Shtar, folding the odd-numbers onto the even-numbers. When you are finished, you will have a nice fan.
The text of the Shtar is written on line 1, 3, 5, and 7, while lines 2, 4, 6, and 8 are left blank (or you could sign witnesses on line 8 if you want to make it a Shtar Pashut).
Y. Shaw
I am not sure that I understood your instructions, but I tried! What happens is when you fold line 1 over blank line 2, you can still see line 3. When I fold line 3 over blank line 4, the paper from line 1/2 covers line 5!!!
In order to make the fan, you have to BACK FOLD the package of line 1 and 2, before folding 3 over 4. After line 4, you also have to do a backfold!!!
While I think the Artscroll picture shows this, I don't see that instruction in Rashbam or Rabbenu Gershom.
Am I missing something???
Simon Kahn
LaserComm, Inc.
You are correct, you must backfold the package of line 1 and 2. The Rashbam is referring to this when he says that "in back, between the folds, it looks similar to a Keses ha'Sofer." The expression (from a verse in Yechezkel 9:2) refers to a pair of tablets connected along one seam which were used for writing on. When not in use they were folded back against each other, producing a "backfold," as you referred to it. Other Rishonim (Or Zaru'a) refer to this with the more contemporary expression of "like a fan."
M. Kornfeld