El haber

What is the meaning of El Haber. It seems really weird to see the definite article in front of the auxilary verb Here is a sample sentence A Alexander von Humboldt, el cientifico y viajero, se le atribuye* el haber* a concer al chocolate en Aleman y *el haber* iniciado la aficion por el ......... Thanks In Advance

"El haber" could be translated as "having". So, "...having started blah blah is attributed to him..." We use the article to transform the verb into a noun. Example sentences: ¿Es posible que *el tomar sol* genere una adicción? Is it possible that *sunbathing *generates an addiction ? *El tomar* agua es esencial para lograr la pérdida de peso. *Drinking* water is essential to achieve weight loss. I hope that's of help.