Chanoch LaNa’ar, First Book by Rabbi Chaim Na’eh, in Bukharian! Single Edition, Warsaw 1912. Rare!

Chanoch LaNa’ar, First Book by Rabbi Chaim Na’eh, in Bukharian! Single Edition, Warsaw 1912. Rare!

"מחברתי מחברתי, את בתי הבכורה - אותך ילדתי על ברכי התורה", from a poem by the author appearing in this work, which was published by him when he was only 22 years old - Sefer Chanoch LaNa'ar, with Hilchot Tefillin,   "על פי דעת מרן הבית יוסף זל"ל והאר"י ז"ל ודעמהון כפי הנהוג בין אחינו הספרדים", and a sermon for a Bar Mitzvah in Hebrew and Persian (Judeo-Bukharian to be precise).

Single edition - Warsaw, 1912. 56 pp. Approbations by the rabbis of Jerusalem, the rav of Hebron and the Ridbaz of Safed.

Rabbi Chaim Na'eh published this book under his father’s name (Chaim Mendelov), when he was sent from Jerusalem to Samarkand (Uzbekistan) as a Shaliach for two years while wearing the clothing of the Jews of Bukhara. His genius and modesty are indicated in an addition to the introduction, where he wrote: "כי בעת כתבתי הספר הזה לא היה לי שום ספר רק ספרי השו"ע והרמב"ם, וש"ס קטן... וע"כ אולי ימצא כתוב באיזה מקומן שהקדימוני, אל יחשדני הקורא למתלבש בטלית שאינה שלו ח"ו".

Rabbi [Avraham] Chaim Na'eh (1890-1954), known as Baal HaShiurim, was born in Hebron to Rabbi Menachem Mendel, an important Chabad Chassid. At the age of 20 he left Israel for the yeshiva of the Rashab of Lubavitch, from which he continued to shlichut in Samarkand, where he became known to the Jews of Bukhara as well, for whom he became a holy man and whose blessings they enjoyed.  Afterward, he returned to Israel, where he became well-known for his book Shiurei Torah on measurements and weights of Chazal, which he converted to the units we use today. During World War I he went to Egypt. When he returned to Israel he served as Rav of the Bukharim neighborhood of Jerusalem. He was a great Posek of Jerusalem and an important Chabad Chassid.