If only all yeshivot would be on the level of Ponovitch or Brisk [the Ivy league].where Torah is learned for its own sake. But outside of the few great Litvak yeshivot, most people use Torah to make money. And I mean this in the widest possible extent. I mean even judges. "A judge that takes a salary for judging all his judgments are null and void." שבר בטלה [payment for taking time out of his regular job,] does not count because it has to be שדר הניכר [Visible salary]. He can not say "I could have been an astronaut, but instead I learn Torah So I should get the salary of an astronaut.] [I have heard a person in kollel actually tell me as much.]
{The idea of שכר בטלה [payment for taking time out of his regular job,] is this. A judge can judge a case for free. And if he receives money for judging it, the verdict is null--and he pays from his own pocket. But if he has a regular job and two people want him to take out time to judge their case they can pay him שכר הניכר [Visible salary]. That is if he gets 10 dollars an hour on his regular job then he can be paid 10 dollars an hour for judging that case. But it has to be areal job. Not a job that he thinks he could have had.
So using this idea to answer for people getting a salary for learning Torah or even judges does not work.
