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7.31.2006

TALMUD TORAH-----kollel 1


Rambam (Hil. Talmud Torah 3:10)writes: "Anyone who takes it upon himself to learn Torah and not seek a livelihood, and be supported by charity--this is a Chillul Hashem and a mockery of the Torah, and extinguishes the flame of the religion, and he brings bad upon himself and will have no life in Olam Habah. Because it is forbidden to profit from Torah in Olam Hazeh...and Chazal said, 'any Torah unaccompanied by work, its end is wasteful'."

Doesn’t this pose an issue to those living in poverty in Meah Shearim learning all day even though they are not all particularly good learners?I've heard there’s another Rambam quote that advocates Kollel learning, and I would like to see the source if possible...



The Rama in YD 246:21 says the Minhag in Klall Yisroel is like the Bais Yosef in the name of Tashbetz who disagrees with the Rambam on this. He brings those who are even more opposed to the Rambam's view than the Tashbetz, who hold that people learning can take enough money to even live in excess (b'revach) on communal funds.

The Shach (# 20) adds that all the Torah leaders acted throughout the generations acted differently than the Rambam recommends, from which we see that the Halachah is not like the Rambam. He says the rule of "ais laasos" applies here as well, since the only way for Torah to survive is to have people learning all day.

The so-called "pro-Kollel" Rambam you are referring to is in Shmittah 13:12,13. Quote:
"The tribe of Levi...was designated to serve Hashem...and separated from the ways of the world..And so too can any person in the world commit himself to separate [from the world] and serve Hashem...and to throw off from himself the yolk of the ways of the masses...he creates thereby a Kiddush Hashem..."



I heard in a shiur that even Rambam's view was NOT meant to apply to learning in Kollel, but has been distorted by those who are against learning.

Rather, a Kollel that supports you - a program financed by the community or wealthy individuals for this purpose - is not included in what Rambam meant by taking tzadakka to learn.

By charity he only meant having to go out in the street and schnor (and even on that, the Rambam holds a minority view.)

The Rav also pointed out that Rambam had learned for years on the support of, if I remember right, his brother or brother-in-law, so it doesn't make sense that he'd held one shouldn't rely on others to support them to learn.


I wondered about this at first, but it makes a lot of sense. Are the secular university graduate students who spend years there on scholarships and grants and stipends studying (sometimes pretty useless subjects) considered to be living off of charity and told to stop burdening society and go out and work? Then how can we possible take that attitude toward Kollel?



Beutman's interpretation does work, though, and the Rambam's sources can be explained accordingly. The Chazal telling us that Torah has to be accompanied by "work" does not necessarily mean the same person has to do both. In a system where Kollel people are specifically supported not as poor people from charity but by specific grants from people who want the Zechus of supporting people in Kollel, you would have "learning" and "work" both....

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