Jacob (Yaʿaqov) Wazzana was born at the turn of the twentieth century in Assarag, a small village in the remote Tifnout Valley in the High Atlas Mountains of Morocco. Descended from a distinguished family of sages venerated as holy men (Heb. ṣaddiqim), Wazzana was strongly inclined toward Muslim magical healing practices. From an early age he sought the mentorship of famous sheikhs and gradually became a master of his craft.

Wazzana’s mythologization stemmed from his total commitment to his calling: he never married, was utterly contemptuous of social conventions, …