Hi Edmund,
thanks a lot for your guidance- I figured out that the lines describing the codes should not be copied.
The labeled command do work now, but the original remote has very few functions.
I am trying the unlabeled commands, got to #39 so far.
I do the testing this way: command #21 is assigned to the physical button#1, command 22 to button number 2, and so on.
None of them worked so far- the box did not blink and nothing happened when I pressed the assigned buttons.
I am going to try to get through all of them just to make sure I am not missing something I'd like to have:
discrete Power On and Power OFF commands,
possibly FF and REW.

Again, thanks a lot for your help.