Wolf said “However, I also believe that the current kollel paradigm is not sustainable.”
I agree, that LOGICALLY it is not sustainable. However, if a Rothchild (or richer) father existed who couldn’t possibly lose their money (if there was such a thing in this world), then even their grandchildren and great-grandchildren wouldn’t feel a need to worry about income/parnosa….Kal v’chomer we have melech malchei hamelochim, to Whom all money belongs (and then some!) and if we are doing His ratzon, you can be sure that He will take care of us.
That is for someone who CAN sit and learn, even if they are not a genius, but have the hasmoda, etc. Chazal say that out of 1000 who go into learning, only 1 will become a great talmid chochom….so you can imagine if we need several talmidei chochomim, we need quite a few masmidim delving into torah all day.
Many gedolim today say “going out in the world” today is such that, while one can learn torah too and get schar, the world is so corrupt that it is no longer possible to achieve “gadlus b’torah” (to become a talmid chochom, or a moreh horaah, or a posek hador), by being out in the world.
That being said, there is no question that those who “batul” or just aren’t cut out that they feel they can’t learn, should work (& learn if they can, or at least support torah, or both), with the ok of their rav (as some may feel burnt out but just need a change or the like to be able to reapply themselves with full hasmada).
Regardless I don’t know why there’s a whole “hock” and back and forth here, unless you want to rename the thread “Belief in Chachomim – yes or no?”….since assuming you do believe in Gedolim, and Emunas Chachomim and “asei lecha rav”, each person should just speak to their own Rav and it will be very clear if they should be sitting in kollel or not….I don’t think anyone becomes greater in their avodas Hashem by analyzing what “Yenem” is doing or should be doing…and he might have asked his Rav and is living life doing his tafkid without analyzing if what others is doing is right or not!
Really a waste of energy and brain power that could be channeled toward avodas Hashem IMHO….