Reply To: The real pshat in universal kollel

Anyway, I may as well write here while I have your attention what the real real pshat is.

While the norm in pre-war Europe was that only select few learned long term, the norm in Eretz Yisroel (the old yishuv) was that everybody learned forever. The chareidim who came to Palestine after the war joined the existing community and naturally adopted its norms. This was exacerbated by the deal which only allowed them to avoid the treife army if they would learn.

Contrast to American chareidim, where the system is pretty much like it was in Europe. Among the chassidim, only a select few learn long term; among the litvaks, whoever can afford to and wants to learns long term and others learn shorter terms for as long as they want and then join their father in law’s business or join a profession.