Reply To: Yafeh Talmud Torah im Derech Eretz

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gavra_at_work
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Gavra:

I don’t think one can predict the future. It is just as (im)possible to support a family and pay tuitions on a Rabbe’s salary with a spouse’s income as it is if the husband were working in a typical white-collar office job. The additional income taxes, alone, are almost punitive.

Regardless, Parnassa, like everything else, is from Hashem, not from the profession you choose. I know many klei kodesh professionals who are managing just fine and, on the other hand, non-klei kodesh professionals including lawyers, who, unfortunately, are not doing all that well, financially.

I’ll respond to the first point first:

Even if you are a Rebbe, you are still mechuyav to maximize your earnings as to not take tzedaka (or less tzedaka) from the Klal (which would mean tutoring, working nights, etc., and would still not be enough if you start at 25K for a Rebbe (BH, our school does pay more)) I don’t know what the “Typical office white collar job” is. If you are dealing with someone who had a serious education (which is an issue in of itself), most of those working will make six figures (or close to it) within 10 years of starting, once again, assuming an education. I even know a number of OT/PT’s who make six figures. It’s not difficult, but you do have to work hard! If both spouses work, there should be enough to support a decent sized family.

Second point: I was Mekabel from my Rebbe, who got from his Rebbe, that Parnasah depends on what you do. Some one in Kollel can not expect Al Pi Teva to make six figures. When Hashem decides on Rosh Hashana how much someone will make, it is where they will land in the range of what they do. Whether the doctor will make 250K or 500K (if that is normal), or will be fired and make zero, or the secretary 15K or 20K. The secretary will not make 250K Al Pi Teva, but requires “extra help” which Hashem may brovide, but is not being given due to the normal course of hishtadlus. I know there are other shittos out there, but IMHO they make no sense to me based on the requirement of Hishtadlus that exists.

As such, if one plans on paying tuition, you can’t just shrug it off saying “no one else pays”, and you have to be “Roeh es Hanolad”, that tuition will come, and you have to decide at an early age what you will do about it.