The assumption is that the “kollel” lifestyle is somehow related to ruchniyus, and that no other lifestyle approaches that. Such assumptions are so buried in the ideal, that reality has escaped completely. Whatever the original developers and advocates intended of the “kollel” lifestyle intended, it has evolved into something far more monstrous and completely different. It has become a preoccupation with dependency, rooted in laziness, avoidance of challenge, and topped with delusions of being closer to Hashem.
Here’s what kollel should be. First and foremost, an arrangement where those endowed with the skills, talents, and motivation can further their Torah knowledge in order to serve as leaders for the coming generation. This includes dayanim, rabbonim, roshei yeshivos, magidei shiur, etc. It also affords a place where baalei batim can congregate to participate in learning, shiurim, etc. It can also be a place where a newlywed can spend a limited amount of time learning Torah with the kedusha of marriage.
It is NOT place of refuge, to avoid entering a career, to live off the fruits of someone else’s hard labor. It is NOT an ideal for the wife to work, while the husband hides in the beis hamedrash. It is certainly NOT the place where a yungerman can claim to be more “ruchniyus” than the baal haboss who is adhering to halacha in his career while being koveya ittim. There is this image that “kollel” tries to pump into the value system of the entire frum community. Every girl has been conditioned to seek a “learning boy”, and every boy must direct his life to lifelong kollel in order to be considered a frum prospect for a shidduch. This is a huge embarrassment, as the sheer amount of falsehood that empowers this mirage is staggering.
And for those who have the delusion that the “kollel” lifestyle is founded on being “mistapeik be’mu’ot”, look around, and you will see this is not true. Some are, others are clearly not. What is universal is the dependency, and that is not a Torah value, certainly not for the masses.