The grave of Rabbi Yahya Lakhdar lays in Sidi Eddahbi, a small village near Ben Ahmed visited every year by the Jewish community in Morocco. The Jewish saint is known for his many legends. Rabbi Yahya Lakhdar is no exception among Moroccan saints, especially the Jewish ones. Few are the historical sources that give details about the life and journey of this tzadik, a title in Judaism given to people deemed righteous. Even the exact period during which he lived near Ben Ahmed remains undetermined. But one thing is sure : he is «a missionary who came to Morocco toward the end of the 17th century», as reported in issue n°86084 of «Near East / South Asia Report» (Foreign Broadcast Information Service, 1986). «He was sent from the Al Khalil Hebrew University with letters of credit to the Moroccan Jewish community», the same source indicates. On the Rabbi Yahya Lakhdar's Hiloula Facebook page it is mentioned that «Rabbi Yahya's sanctuary is located in the Casablanca hinterland, in the plain of Chaouiya, 100 kilometers east of the city, towards Ben Ahmed». «The presence of archaeological remains near an ancient palace attributed to the black Sultan Hassan al-Marini gives an impression of historical depth to the site and the story», it continues. The same source also explains that the saint is a questing rabbi and goes on to tell one of the legends related to Rabbi Yahya Lakhdar : «at the time of an attack by Muslims, he would have read the Jewish prayer of «Shema ha-meforash» and hid under a stone», it is said. The legend goes the prayer allowed the rabbi to remain hidden and safe from danger. Henceforth, the legend was born and the tradition gave way to a pilgrimage to the shrine, called «Moussem Al-hajrat», which literally means the «stones festival». A saint with many legends In an article titled «Self-Presentation on Rabbi Yahya Lakhdar's Pilgrimage», writer Hicham Dakhama draws attention to the many legends related to Rabbi Yahya Lakhdar. In his article, Dakhama quotes the story of a Moroccan national from the colonial era, who lived in Ben Ahmed. «They (the French) were building a road that was bringing to Souk Jemaa. While they wanted the road to go through the stones' site, the worker was petrified and the French too, until the rabbi explained to them to change the course of the road. At the time, Gad Banon, the chairman of the committee, had a dream at night in which Rabbi Yahya asked him to build on his grave. After the miracle, the committee built a wall around the sacred stones and the little room next to it, afterwards, they worked on the expansion of the synagogue». A legend Several stories have emerged regarding the sanctuary of the Jewish saint. «One time, a young man did not respect the Sabbath, he smoked and he did not respect anything, so he was told to be careful and he said that religion meant nothing. On the spot, he became mute. He had to come to Rabbi Yahya, ask for forgiveness and after the ziyâra (visit), he was able to speak again», says Hicham Dakhama. Upon completion of the construction works, the saint's sanctuary became a destination of choice for those who came «to be healed», «skin patients» or «sterile women» coming to perform the Ziyara. And like the majority of Jewish saints in Morocco, Rabbi Yahya Lakhdar was never only a Jewish saint as he was visited by Muslims as well. Rabbi Yahya Lakhdar's Hiloula is celebrated every year in May, during which visitors sing and pray. The event is also marked by an auction and ritual sacrifices during seven days.
