Real life doesn’t always follow seemingly logical calculations; such as marry a rich girl, learn forever, marry a poor girl, you’ll have to go to work. The friends I was referring to actually come from families living very simply and Torah learning is truly the priority there. They would never dream of having their husbands go to work, and yes they do live pas b’melach. Marrying rich does not ensure more years in kollel; it’s very much dependent on the wife’s support. By that I do not mean financial, I mean willingness to do this for the long haul and doing without the luxuries that have been so taken for granted like $1000 carriages. In fact, if you look at today’s longest years in kollel people, most of them are poor and live simply. Those that married rich had it easy financially perhaps but somewhere down the line either they had pressure to go to work from their supporters or the rich lifestyle they were leading was not conducive to true shteiging. Face it, the ones that really succeeded in learning long term were those that had an inner desire to, a supportive wife, and yes, those that didn’t expect others to pay all their high standards while they were at it. So these girls may or may not have degrees but their parents can’t promise the minimum $4000 a month of support so they don’t stand a chance. Even if they are able and willing to be the best wives suited for this lifestyle. This you do not find in the chassidishe world. A good girl is valued even if she is poor.
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