7 Facts: This is What Rabbi Dov Yaffe's 'Bein Hazemanim' (Summer Vacation) Was Like

Rabbi Dov Yaffe zt"l was a well-known rabbi, mashigiach, and Torah giant. His grandson, Y. Ehrenfreund shares some interesting and inspiring anecdotes from his grandfather's bein hazemanim (summer vacation) in the "Divrei Emet" publication:

1. During bein hazemanim, Rabbi Dov Yaffe's grandchildren would hold a "song evening" in his courtyard, and Rabbi Yaffe would come and participate for a few minutes. As was his practice when he partook of any pleasurable activity, Rabbi Yaffe would recite the words of the Tur (in the Laws of Holidays, 529): "A person should say in his heart during his joy and pleasure: If this is the joy of this world, which is vanity and followed by sorrow and pain, what then will be the continuous joy of the World to Come which has no sorrow after it." After reciting these words, Rabbi Yaffe would say: "If it's so pleasant to eat and sing together, it is certainly worthwhile for us to long for and desire the pleasures of the World to Come."

2. His grandson relates that he once brought his grandfather some ice cream to taste, and his grandfather laughed and said: "Is this what the lower Garden of Eden has to sell?!" He then quoted the "Pele Yoetz" and said that when there is delicious food, one should recite blessings with additional joy and thank Hashem even more. His grandfather also remarked: "One can eat ice cream and sink into the pleasures of this world, or one can use ice cream to draw closer to serving Hashem!"

3. Rabbi Yaffe often noted that a person should incorporate positive intentions into everything he does and do things for the sake of heaven. Over time, this intention should become his primary intention. Rabbi Yaffe once saw one of his grandchildren playing the violin, and instructed him: "You should play in order to draw close to Hashem, just like King David..."

4. When Rabbi Yaffe saw his young grandchildren playing, he would affectionately tell them: "Now you have the opportunity to merit a precious mitzvah - the mitzvah of playing lovingly and peacefully and not causing pain to one another." 

5. When Rabbi Yaffe's grandchildren would go to the beach, he would remind them that the purpose of going to the beach is to gather strength to serve Hashem. On the day of the terrible attack on bus #2, a Torah scholar and teacher approached Rabbi Yaffe and asked him if he should cancel his family's planned trip to the beach. After all, perhaps it wasn't right to go and enjoy themselves when other Jews were in so much pain. Rabbi Yaffe replied: "Since going to the beach is necessary for your health, going to the beach is a mitzvah, and there's no reason to cancel the trip." He even instructed this man to share his dilemma with his children, along with the answer he had received. Rabbi Yaffe felt it would be a great opportunity to teach his children that going to the beach is not just about having fun. The point of going to the beach is to revitalize ourselves so we can better serve Hashem.

Once, Rabbi Yaffe's grandchildren suggested he go to the beach for his health, but he refused. He explained: "Today is our wedding anniversary, and on this day I am busy thanking Hashem and considering whether I am fulfilling my purpose in this world - I don't have time to go to the beach."

6. On one occasion, Rabbi Yaffe stayed at a vacation home, and he felt that the prayer service was too fast for his taste. Rabbi Yaffe decided it was necessary to offer a gentle rebuke in this case, and he delivered his message in an extremely pleasant way: "If you came across a halachic source that indicates that when one is at a vacation home, he is exempt from concentrating during prayer, then it's understandable to rush. However, in the absence of such a source, it is too demanding to pray quickly while also managing to concentrate on the prayer service, and we came here to rest, not to make things more difficult. 

7. One day, during summer vacation, Rabbi Yaffe saw his grandson head out to pray the evening prayer at 12:00 A.M.  Although it was before midnight, Rabbi  Yaffe was shocked: "How could you wait so long for Maariv?!"

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