Wolf:
“The Gemara there clearly talks about Rabannan. It does not talk about regular people who are sitting and learning. It talks about a case where someone questions “Mai Ahanu Li Rabbanan.” It does not talk about someone who says “Mai Ahanu Li HaLomdai Torah.”
No on the contrary. Rabanan there clearly refers to regular people sitting and learning. For the avoidance of doubt I will quote the Gemara and Rashi there and I believe it is then self-evident.
‘Who is an Apikorus? Said Rav Yosef, those that say ‘What use are Rabanan to us – they read (Scripture) for themselves, they learn for themselves’ Says Rashi: ‘And they don’t realise that the world remains in place due to them’
Clearly this doesn’t refer to Rabbonim, Roshei Yeshiva and other disseminators of Torah who obviously and directly are benefiting others otherwise these people aren’t Apikorsim – they are simply blind or stupid and Rashi’s comment that the world remains in place due to the Rabanan (and the Gemara following this with a quote from Abaye) is a little puzzling and superfluous. The Gemara and Rashi’s comment indicate unequivocally that the reference is to someone just sitting and learning.