daasjochid,popa: We are talking at crosspurposes: Of course, R’Moshe knew the (well-known) gemoro in berochos and there are some (isolated) places where you find that talmidei chachomim left their wives to fend for themselves (I think gittin 6a too)and the gemoro in berochos said as much-that many tried to learn and not work- and they did not succeed because one has to make a living and you cannot (should not!)rely uopn tsedakah or miracles.This view prevailed through gemoro times (most amoraim were business people), throughout the geonim’s time and well into the rishonim’s time (rashi was a wine merchant). For whatever reason, as the rishonim’s time ended, it became difficult for a talmid chcohom to concentrate on torah and work. Hence, the kessef mishne and later acharonim, who allowed people to take money for their learning-mainly rabbonim,Poskim and melamdim- so as to be able to live. But this did not mean that every person should throw off the “chyiuv’ of working and feeding his family (see the kessubah, see mishpotim). It only meant that some people could take money for their learning,unlike the rambam.
This approach survived for hundreds of years. Of course, plenty of talmidei chachomim were subsidized by their families and their in’laws, at times maybe even from the “kuppas ho-ir” (see asoroh batlonim) but it WAS NOT A BLANKET POLICY FOR EVERYONE.
Enter the late twentieth century and suddenly, every person has to learn and learn forever. Now, that is a radical departure from the past! This is at the center of my argument in the critique of the way kollels (and yeshivas) operate today.And, for our sins, in Eretz Yisroel, this has become a way of life- the army induction unfortunately gave many the excuse of lounging around and taking money frm the klal.
As I said, I favor a complete amnesty for all kollel people- and an end to their financing from the government. let them all go out and be productive. let some remain in kollel- the ones who deserve it and let these ones stay fore a while before going out and doing “meleches hakodesh”. The financial benefit from all of this would be huge- the municipalities would have more money, the ones who would be able to go out and work properly would become financially independent, the wives would not have to go out and work , the ones who would stay in kollel would get more money and live normally…etc…
Once that is accepted, one can turn to the question of army service- or any other national service. I am confident that a compromise can then be found. But, until the chareidim insist on everyone being exempt and receiving stipends, we are at an impasse.