mdd, I assume you refer to my first comment quoting from Justice Holmes, not to my second comment about setting VERY high standards for kollel members that seek public support.
In truth, I regretted the post as soon as I had clicked “send.” it was not meant to be derogatory nor was it directed at the three generations of kollel learners we are discussing. It was a poor attempt at humor (I have a strange academic sense of humor, I cant help it), and it was the first thing that popped into my head when I originally saw the title of the topic (the original title was ‘Three generations,” the “kollel yungerleit . . .” was added later) before I had read what it was about.
Again, I do apologize for the unintended insult.
As a side note. mdd, if my comment had been intended as derogatory, please distinguish derision of people who happen to learn torah and of the Torah itself. I think you would have to admit that there is a difference between saying (and I don’t mean this, its just an example), “kollelnicks are lazy no good leaches” and saying “the laws of the Torah are complete lunacy and to follow them is the ultimate mindless enslavement of one’s self.” Both statements are wrong and reprehensible. One is mivazeh the torah, while the other is mibazeh individuals that happen to learn torah. there is a valuable and meaningful difference.