The Miracle That Saved My Life: Remembering the Baba Sali’s Power and Legacy

At a year and a half old, I fell from the second-floor window of our home. An ambulance rushed me to the hospital, where — according to what my parents later told me, I slipped into a coma that lasted more than a week.

At one point, the doctors pulled my parents aside and told them that perhaps only prayers could help now. They weren’t sure if I would survive, and even if I did, they had no idea what the long-term damage would be.

A Grandmother’s Faith

My grandmother, the righteous Rebbetzin Miriam Abuhatzeira, wife of the Admor Rabbi Yitzhak Abuhatzeira (the Baba Chaki), comforted my crying mother with simple words: “The merit of our ancestors will protect us.”

Determined, she traveled to Netivot to the home of her brother-in-law, Rabbi Yisrael Abuhatzeira — the Baba Sali, to ask him to pray for me.

The Blessing of the Baba Sali

The Baba Sali took a bowl of water and recited a long blessing over it. He instructed my grandmother to take the water back to the hospital and rub it on my body as I lay unconscious.

When she arrived, the doctors questioned her, confused and skeptical, but she brushed them aside. She approached my bed and gently spread the blessed water over my small, fragile body.

What happened next sounds unbelievable — yet everyone who was there swears it is exactly what occurred: The moment the water touched me, I stood up and began running down the hospital corridor.

A few weeks later, my parents took me to Netivot to thank the Baba Sali for the miracle. He sat me on his lap and blessed me. A few months later, he passed away.

Although I remember nothing from those events, to this day I feel that his blessing has continued to protect me.

Remembering the Baba Sali

The 4th of Shevat marks the passing of the Baba Sali, one of the most revered and influential figures in Jewish history. As every year, tens of thousands traveled to his resting place to honor the memory of one of the greatest rabbis and kabbalists of Moroccan Jewry and of the State of Israel.

Since his passing, countless books have been written about him, documenting hundreds — perhaps thousands, of miracles associated with him. Today, in a world filled with cynicism where faith in tzaddikim is fading, such stories often sound to many like legends. Some argue that perhaps it’s the power of positive thinking, not the rabbi’s blessing.

But for the countless people whose lives he saved, healed, or blessed, the answer is clear: The Baba Sali was a righteous, pure, and upright man whose only desire was to sanctify G-d’s name and spread Torah.

A Warning About False “Rabbis”

The Baba Sali never chased politicians, donors, or fame. He wanted one thing only: Torah, holiness, and truth. From him, our family learned who not to go to for blessings or guidance:

Do not go to rabbis who…

• Give priority to wealthy businessmen while ignoring simple people

• Appear in gossip columns

• Demand a set donation before offering a blessing

• Spend their days fundraising instead of learning Torah

• Do not guard their eyes

• Flaunt their wealth

• Use fear, threats, or curses

• Radiate no holiness at all

If you don’t know what it means for a rabbi’s face to shine with holiness, then you simply haven’t met the right kind of rabbi yet.

Ask rabbis for blessings or advice, but never allow any rabbi to control your life beyond what is written in the Shulchan Aruch. A rabbi who dictates every detail of your life is not a rabbi — he is a cult leader.

A True Rabbi

The Baba Sali was different from many of the so-called “kabbalists” and “miracle-workers” we hear about today. This is why tens of thousands in Israel and around the world still mourn his loss and cherish his memory.

Today, when so many with long beards present themselves as mystics while spreading fear, manipulation, or hatred, we must remember: ​A real rabbi uplifts, loves, blesses, and protects. May the merit of the Baba Sali continue to stand for us and may he pray for us from above.