I am gaining some clarity about work and Torah. To me it looks like an argument. Even though in most classical Musar books we have the preference for work with Torah, still you have things that indicate that it is best to just learn and depend on God to provide a living.
You see this last opinion in the מדרגת האדם. [Navardok] But it is not his opinion alone.[See the Gra on Proverbs 26:3 בטח אל השם בכל לבך]
Depending on charity or when the Torah is made into a means of making money inspires a certain degree of rage in most people that are aware of the scam involved in that. But that does not mean that the second opinion is not valid. It just means that there are bad people out there that misuse the Torah.
What I mean to say is that I think there is a distinction between the opinion of the מדרגת האדם [Navardok] and how this question is approached in kollels.
What we have traditionally is the well known argument between the Duties of the Heart and Navardok which really boils down to the argument between R. Shimon Ben Yochai and R. Ishmael.
It is not clear how the Rambam decided here. As far as I can tell he might have been going with R Shimon. But all this is simply whether it is best to simply sit and learn Torah and expect a miracle that manna will flow from heaven. Or is it better not to trust in this kind of miracle and learn and get involved in legitimate profession. Both have valid source in Torah thought.
But today kollels while pretending to be following the opinion of R Shimon are in fact using Torah as a means to make money, and at the same time are claiming to be trusting in God. This is not according to either legitimate opinion. If you are trusting in God then you are not coercing the Israeli government to give to you charity. The the insane religious world considers the Israeli government evil for existing and also for not giving them enough money. It is not a world in which virtue, intelligence or hard work is rewarded. It is a world which is unjust. But so what? You don't have to join it. But if you do then be aware of what you are getting yourself into.
[But I admit they do try to make a show that the Rosh yeshiva is virtuous and hard working and a genius in order to continue this scam. But no Rosh Yeshiva is ever choose because of these virtues. Not nowadays at least.] Clearly in the past there were rosh yeshivas who had all these virtues like Chaim Soloveitchik etc.
You see this last opinion in the מדרגת האדם. [Navardok] But it is not his opinion alone.[See the Gra on Proverbs 26:3 בטח אל השם בכל לבך]
Depending on charity or when the Torah is made into a means of making money inspires a certain degree of rage in most people that are aware of the scam involved in that. But that does not mean that the second opinion is not valid. It just means that there are bad people out there that misuse the Torah.
What I mean to say is that I think there is a distinction between the opinion of the מדרגת האדם [Navardok] and how this question is approached in kollels.
What we have traditionally is the well known argument between the Duties of the Heart and Navardok which really boils down to the argument between R. Shimon Ben Yochai and R. Ishmael.
It is not clear how the Rambam decided here. As far as I can tell he might have been going with R Shimon. But all this is simply whether it is best to simply sit and learn Torah and expect a miracle that manna will flow from heaven. Or is it better not to trust in this kind of miracle and learn and get involved in legitimate profession. Both have valid source in Torah thought.
But today kollels while pretending to be following the opinion of R Shimon are in fact using Torah as a means to make money, and at the same time are claiming to be trusting in God. This is not according to either legitimate opinion. If you are trusting in God then you are not coercing the Israeli government to give to you charity. The the insane religious world considers the Israeli government evil for existing and also for not giving them enough money. It is not a world in which virtue, intelligence or hard work is rewarded. It is a world which is unjust. But so what? You don't have to join it. But if you do then be aware of what you are getting yourself into.
[But I admit they do try to make a show that the Rosh yeshiva is virtuous and hard working and a genius in order to continue this scam. But no Rosh Yeshiva is ever choose because of these virtues. Not nowadays at least.] Clearly in the past there were rosh yeshivas who had all these virtues like Chaim Soloveitchik etc.
