The Car - Part 2: Lesson from a Car / to lease or to buy

00:01 The hemshch, in continuation to the earlier installment where we discussed the Rebbe's insights on cars, we continue now with installment number two, where we will cite an additional lesson one can learn in Avodas Hashem from a car. Followed by a selection of the Rebbe's responses to people who inquired of the Rebbe if to buy or lease a car and which model, et cetera. In a letter dated the twenty-fifth of Cheshvan, Tav Shin Yud Gimel, late 1952, the Rebbe wrote the following to an individual, as is translated here from Yiddish into English. "From everything that a person, a Yid, sees, he can derive a lesson in his personal life, as we have heard quite often from my father-in-law, the Rebbe, in the name of the Baal Shem Tov HaKadosh. And likewise, from your business, you can also derive a remez in regards to your life. As Horav Hecht writes to me, your business is around autos, cars. The concept of a car is that it has material, and it has a force through which it can move and go from one place to another. But the first push, the starter, comes through a spark. The starter is the beginning of the entire future moving, movement of the car. But it is not advisable that this starter, this spark, should constantly be repeated. Likewise, by a person, and especially by a Yid, the tachlis, the ultimate goal of a Yid is that he should be a avod Hashem, serve Hashem Baruch Hu, and serve Him with his

02:09 characteristics which Hashem Yisbarach has installed in his Nefesh Elokis and in his Nefesh Habamis. So from the beginning or from time to time, a person takes upon himself a spark, a starter, a beginning of a, of an, uh, uh, a beginning of an entire procedure. But this is not good that a person should constantly need to rely on this spark, this starter. And surely, person should also not allow through this that he will n-not listen to the beginning, to the s- to the starter, which means the starter is only in the beginning, but then he will serve Hashem Yisbarach with his own characteristics, which Hashem Yisbarach has given him in his neshamah." Now we go on to various responses that the Rebbe wrote to people in regards to buying a car or leasing a car, what kind of car, et cetera. In a letter Yud Beis Shvat Tav Shin Lamed Alef, that's winter 1971, the Rebbe writes to a Hasid, Rab Zvi Aryeh Begun, one of the Hasidim in São Paulo, Brazil, that in response to his question, it is kiddai to buy a car, but not a new model. Likewise, the Rebbe writes to a Hasid, Rab Zvi Schusterman, who was a Rav in Chicago in the year nineteen fifty-six. B'negdiya to a car, it's better to buy a new one. That was to him a different answer, but he should verify. And the Rebbe says it seems to him that the new model of nineteen fifty-five is as good as the new model

04:17 of nineteen fifty-six. It is much cheaper. In addition, a response that the Rebbe wrote to Rab Chaim Zement from Boston, this was in the year 1955. B'negdiya to his question about buying a car, it is advisable, and it should have a good look externally, but he does not have to waste money that it should be a brand new car. V'aderaba, not really be particular to buy a new model. In a response that the Rebbe wrote to one of Anash in the winter Tav Shin Mem Beis which is early 1982, he writes to the Rebbe that he wants to buy a new car. So the Rebbe says, "Why davka a new one? Why not a used one which is still in good condition?" The difference in price is a lot, as it's known. In response to a question if to buy or to lease a car for the Mevtzoim, the Tanke HaMitzvahs, the Rebbe responded, "In the tanks for Mevtzoim, they just use it a certain designated time and a s- minimum amount of time. Therefore, one is-- would be very questionable if it's kiddai to buy and not to lease when needed. But at least one, they'll be able to use it in- Different occasions for selling Svarim in a distant place, which means Hafatza Samayones. And also the tank of Tziri Agudis Chabad will be a Pirsum, and therefore it would be worthwhile to buy. Ubedecheh Gogol, the Rebbe says, and Bedecheh, which means not really something that comes as first thought, would be

06:35 to buy a second one to travel in suburbs, in the outskirts of the city, and to spread Yiddishkeit there. Go on now to a Fabregen of Breishis Tov Shin Lamed Gimel, late 1972. The Rebbe is speaking about the temptation that some people have to buy a car, although they could have managed with spending less money, etc. The Rebbe says the following, we see in real life that today we live in a country where people go overboard in everything. When it comes to buying a garment, they wear it for a short time and then they throw it away and they buy a new one. When it comes to buying a car, they travel with it a short while and then no difference how the car looks. Even if everything is working good, fine, and he can still use it, nevertheless he buys a new car. Although in general the question is what did he buy a car for? The question is does he really need a car? Because he just travels with the car short distances. As the Rebbe expresses himself, dala damas or gima lamas. But this is the fact. And if the car is marked that it is from 1971 and 1971 has passed, then he needs to get a new car from 1972. And machmirim, those who are even more enhanced and involved in it, they need a car from 1973. So the Rebbe says this anhoge, behavior of broadness and wasting money should be used in kedusha. It should be vashalcha barkhava,

08:43 that the broadness that a person has in his nature, he should use it in all matters of teida mitzvas, lechat chila aliba. In a sicha for Shabbos Parsha Pikudei, Tov Shin Mem Alef, 1981, the Rebbe is discussing when he gave Tzion the Rabbeinu Tam and why we find that in earlier generations, even Rabbonim and Rosh Yeshivas did not put on Tzion the Rabbeinu Tam. The Rebbe says the beard explanation for that and the limuz chuzis because it cost money and people didn't really have the ability to afford to buy also Tzion the Rabbeinu Tam. So therefore, they found a heter that there's no need to put on Rabbeinu Tam. So the Rebbe continues, but now this is not an excuse. Every Rav needs to put on Rabbeinu Tam because today every person has the money for it as we see B'pe'al that now it is a matzav that the first thing that a person needs is a car. And immediately right after he receives smicha, ordination for Rabbonus as a preparation to becoming a Rav, he buys a car. And he doesn't satisfy himself to go with a bus or that a balabus, a person in his community should drive him around because then the balabus will take him where the balabus wants to take him. But the Rav has to have his own car. And since he is a manik of a community, so therefore he has to be the manik of his own car. To the extent that nisha ein li car ein

10:32 li adam, a person that doesn't have a car is not considered a person, especially to say that he is a adam choshev. And since he has money to buy a car, he can also buy lehavru Tzion the Rabbeinu Tam. So the Rebbe says to demand from him that he shouldn't buy a car, but only Tzion the Rabbeinu Tam, that's already too much. That is a mesiras nefesh to demand from him. But instead of buying the newest model and modern car and a car of a year earlier or a car with a very expensive metal, buy something that's average, nice looking car. And with the hundreds of dollars which you will spare by not buying the most expensive car, buy yourself a pair of Tzion of Rabbeinu Tam. We will, with permission, continue in the next installment.