A Woman Mekubelet (Kabbalist with special merit and abilities)
Chasiba bas Haviv lived in Morocco, born in about 1900 to a family of mekubalim - those who study Kabbalistic teachings and thus possess special merit and spiritual abilities.
As she was raised in this family, she became a mekubelet. She studied the Zohar. She would fast for an entire week when there were decrees against the Jewish community, and an entire week means from the end of the Sabbath on Saturday night until the beginning of the next Sabbath, Friday sundown. Six whole days.
I know her granddaughter, who is about 60 years of age. That means that Chasiba bat Haviv had children, and means that she would fast for a whole week while caring for her family.
Her granddaughter tells me, “her lips would be cracked from fasting. A doctor would come on Friday sundown and feed her sips of water very slowly so as not to shock her system.”
And, "every time Hasiba gave birth to a boy, the baby died. She prayed for a son, she said, 'God' please grant me a son, even if he has only one eye.' A son was born, and at the age of 13, he lost his sight in one eye - and he is my father."
"My father told me that he never saw her get angry, though my father was such a good boy that he never would have made her angry to begin with."
Chasiba bat Haviv passed away at about the age of 42.
“In Morocco, people did not have health care, babies died, one of my great grandmothers gave birth to sixteen children, only four survived. Very few people knew their grandparents as there were illnesses all the time”, her granddaughter tells me, “people do not appreciate what they have now, vaccines, affordable health care, clean water and food.”
I asked her for more information about her mekubelet grandmother.
“These are stories passed down in families, all my cousins know of her, but no, there has been nothing published about her.”
Until this brief essay.
Light a candle in memory of Chasiba bat Haviv, a woman mekubelet who fasted for you.
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