Locked in the Mikveh—and Totally Calm: Rabbi Dov Yafe’s Faith

Rabbi Dov Yafe zt"l, the beloved mashgiach (spiritual guide) of the Kfar Chassidim yeshiva in Rechasim, lived a life filled with emunah—deep faith in Hashem—and an inner peace that few could match. One Friday afternoon, just minutes before Shabbat, his grandson witnessed this serenity firsthand in a moment that could have shaken most people.

“We were staying at my grandparents’ home for Shabbat,” his grandson recalls. “As it got closer to candle lighting, my grandmother began to worry. My grandfather hadn’t come home yet, and time was running out. She asked me to go look for him.”

He ran to the yeshiva, checking every corner, but his grandfather was nowhere to be found. Then a thought occurred to him—maybe something had happened at the mikveh (ritual bath). He ran there, tried the door—and found it was locked.

“I knocked, a bit nervous,” the grandson says. “Then I heard my grandfather’s gentle, relaxed voice from inside, as if nothing in the world was wrong. ‘Yes?’ he said, completely calm.”

He asked if everything was okay, and Rabbi Yafe answered with a peacefulness that’s hard to describe: “It looks like someone accidentally locked the mikveh. So I’m just waiting until someone opens it.”

The grandson quickly found a key and opened the door—it was just before Shabbat. Rabbi Yafe walked home quietly, with a wide, peaceful smile on his face.

“I couldn’t help myself,” the grandson continued. “I asked, ‘How were you so calm? You must have been stuck there for a while!’”

His grandfather looked at him gently and replied: “When I saw I was locked in, I simply davened (prayed) to Hashem. I trusted that He would send someone to help. And I knew you would come. So what was there to worry about?”

And that was it. No frustration. No blame. He didn’t even mention the person who mistakenly locked the door. He didn’t feel angry or upset. His faith was complete—and his peace of mind flowed from it.

That’s who Rabbi Dov Yafe was. A man whose quiet strength came from his deep connection to Hashem, and whose calm heart could bring light even in the moments just before Shabbat, behind a locked door.