Don't suffice with just your feelings on this issue. Read the following article by Rabbi Eliezer Melamed, Chief Rabbi of the Shomron town Har Bracha and son of Bet El's Rosh Yeshiva, to be knowledgeable on the topic. Enjoy the read (and if you opt to comment below, be nice).
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Rabbi Eliezer Melamed
Chief Rabbi of Har Bracha |
Torah Study or Profession?
by Rabbi Eliezer Melamed
“A Spade With Which To Dig”
The
Mishnah (Avot 4:6) begins by
teaching us the desired intention when studying Torah:
“If one learns [Torah] in order to teach, he
is given the means to learn and to teach; if one learns in order to do, he is
given the means to learn, to teach, to observe, and to do.”
The
Mishnah continues:
“Rabbi
Tzaddok says, 'Do not make the teachings of the Torah into a crown with which
to adorn (i.e., be proud of) yourself, nor like a spade with which to dig
(i.e., earn a living).' Hillel would say, 'One who makes use of his crown
passes away.' From here we see that whoever derives benefits from his Torah
knowledge removes himself from the world.”
The Practice of the Talmudic Sages
Working to make a living alongside Torah study was indeed the practice of the great Torah scholars from the Talmudic era. No
less an authority than Hillel the Elder, before being appointed to the position
of president of the Great Sanhedrin, would earn a meager salary as a
woodcutter. When he took his position as president, however, the community
bestowed great wealth upon him. This was the rule. Whoever was appointed to a
position of authority, such as president of the Sanhedrin or deputy to the
president, would be made wealthy by the community. The practice of enriching
community leaders was carried out because having rich and distinguished leaders
brought honor to the community, for wealth caused their leaders' words to carry
more weight. It is told of R' Abba of Acco that he was poor, and R' Abahu went
out of his way to have him appointed to an important position so that he should
be granted wealth (Sotah 40a).
However,
other Torah scholars who did not hold positions of authority did not live at
the expense of the community - even very great Torah scholars. R' Shimon
HaPakuli used to make cotton; R' Yochanan the Cobbler used to earn his living
though shoe repair; R' Meir supported himself by performing scribal work; R'
Pappa used to plant trees; etc.
In
those days, people used to assist the rabbis in their work and business. Rabbis
were thus able to earn what they needed in a short period of time, while
dedicating most of their time to Torah study.
Rambam's Position
In
his commentary to the Mishna, Rambam comes out strongly against those who study
Torah and demand that the community support them. He brings numerous examples
of leading Torah authorities from the period of the Mishnah who would earn
their own living and never even considered having the community support them.
Accordingly,
Rambam rules, “One who decides that instead of working he will occupy himself
with Torah study and live from charity, profanes God's name, disgraces the
Torah, extinguishes the light of the law, brings harm upon himself, and removes
himself from the World to Come, for it is forbidden to derive benefit from the
Torah in this world. Hence, the sages teach: 'Whoever derives benefit from his
Torah knowledge removes himself from the world'; they have also commanded us,
saying: 'Do not make them (the teachings of the Torah) into a crown with which
to adorn yourself, nor like an spade with which to dig'; they have also
commanded us, saying: 'Love labor and despise status'; and, “Any Torah that is
not accompanied by labor is destined to be nullified and to lead to
transgression, and such a person will end up robbing other people.'”
The Tribes of Zevulun and Yissachar
On
the other hand, it is well known that the tribe of Zevulun occupied itself with
commerce and supported the Torah
scholars from the tribe of Yissachar, and in this regard the sages taught,
“When Moses came to bless the tribes of
Israel, he blessed Zevulun before Yissachar, in accordance with the verse: 'It
is a Tree of Life for those who cling to it, and those who support it are
content'” (Bereshit Rabba 72:5, 99:9).
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| The Shagal Windows of Yissachar (right) & Zevulun (left) |
Rambam Approves of Such an Approach
Rambam,
of course, approves of the practice of Zevulun and Yissachar. And while he
holds that earning a living through the sweat of one's brow is praiseworthy and
pious behavior (According to Rambam [Hilkhot Tamud Torah 3:11],
“One who earns a living through his own labors
possesses a great virtue, and such was the custom of the early pietists, and
one who behaves in this manner merits all honor and goodness in this world and
attains the World to Come, as the verse states, 'When you eat the labor of your
hands, you shall be happy and it shall be well with you.'”),
a
person is not obligated to adopt such a pious practice. In fact, sometimes, in
order to disseminate Torah amongst the Jewish people, it is preferable to forgo
such piety. Indeed, for years Rambam himself studied Torah diligently while
being supported by his brother David who dealt in commerce. Only after his
brother drowned at sea was Rambam forced to go into medicine in order to
support his family and the family of his brother.
Do not make yourself dependent upon the
community
We
find, then, that the difference between the prohibition of supporting oneself
through the Torah on the one hand, and the practice of Yissachar on the other,
is in two areas: (a) the pure intention of the student, and (b) that it be done
respectfully, not disgracefully. Members of the tribe of Yissachar did not
study Torah in order to earn a living. They no doubt had fields and were
accustomed to working them. Rather, members of the tribe of Zevulun, possessing
as they did great wealth, approached the tribe of Yissachar and encouraged them
to spend more time studying Torah. To this end the tribe of Zevulun would be
willing to support them financially. It never occurred, though, to the tribe of
Yissachar to approach the tribe of Zevulun in order to ask for such support.
The Dissenters from Rambam's Opinion
Many
early Torah authorities disagree with Rambam on this issue. They argue that if
Torah scholars were to refrain from receiving money from the community, the
light of Torah would be extinguished from the midst of Israel, and there would
be no one to teach the people Torah.
Even
those who disagree with Rambam admit that to eschew the financial support of
the community is a pious attribute and that, in the days of the Talmud, Torah
scholars indeed worked to support themselves while at the same time
establishing many students. However, say these authorities, over the course of
time there was a decline in Torah greatness, and it is no longer possible to
occupy oneself with earning a living while studying and teaching Torah.
In
the age of the Mishnah and the Talmud most emphasis was placed on depth of
understanding, for the quantity of Mishnayot and Baraithot was not so great,
and study was, for the most part, aimed at deepening the Torah foundations. It
would appear that their labor did not prevent them from continuing to deepen their
Torah contemplation as they worked. However, with the passing of time, the
number of opinions and interpretations multiplied and the learning material
grew immensely, and students of Torah were forced to spend many more hours
studying in depth and memorizing the Talmud, the Geonim, and the works of the
early authorities.
Rabbi
Shimon ben Tzemach, in his work Hatashbetz (vol. 1, pp. 142-148), agrees with
the above opinion and cites many supporting sources. The great later
authorities, the more important of which being R' Yosef Karo (Kesef Mishneh,
Beit Yosef 246) and R' Moshe Isserles (Yoreh Heah 246:21), ruled likewise.
Dispensation for Yeshivah Students Who Plan
To Teach
In
addition to everything we have said so far, because of the gradual decline in
Torah scholarship and the great increase in books, it goes without saying that
it is impossible to produce even moderate Torah scholars unless they study
Torah on a full time basis. And if the community does not finance the study of
these Yeshiva students, there will not arise any Torah scholars who will be
able to teach and guide the next generation.
Hence,
though according to the letter of the law it would be best if those who learn
Torah would earn their income through the labor of their own hands, over the
course of time it has become necessary to change the original custom and to
support Torah students in order that the Torah continue to thrive in Israel's
midst.
This,
moreover, is the desire of the community. The community wants to foster Torah
scholarship in order to assure that Torah scholars will arise who will be able
to teach Torah and render rulings on questions of Jewish law. And since the
only way to realize such a goal is by allowing students to dedicate themselves
to Torah study on a full time basis, the community donates funds in order to
support Talmudic academies in which Torah students and educators learn. This
position is taken by Maharashal and Shakh (Yoreh Deah 246:20), as well as R'
Chaim ben Attar (Rishon LeTziyon 246:21).
An Additional Dispensation for Our Generation
An
additional problem has arisen in our own generation, namely, that many youths
are slow to reach a level of knowledge that allows them to live in accordance
with the Torah. Therefore, because there is a commandment to educate children
so that they know the Torah and are able to live according to its laws, parents
must continue to finance their children's studies for another few years in the
Yeshiva in order that they succeed in acquiring a firm Torah substructure. And
because there are parents who are not able to pay for their children's
education (and there are even some parents who do not want to pay), the
community as a whole must take this responsibility. Therefore, it is necessary
to gather donations in order to support Yeshivas.
Students Who Are Not Suited To Teach
However,
after a student has studied for a number of years in a Yeshiva and has received
a firm Torah foundation, it is best to direct him according to his talent and
ambition – whether in the field of Torah, viz., education or Rabbinate, or
towards some practical occupation which suits his character, such as, for
example, business management.
As
far as our present inquiry is concerned, if a person finds that he is not
suited to be a teacher or to serve in the Rabbinate, he is no longer permitted
to study Torah on a full time basis and to be supported by the community or
from charity.
This is the path which we follow at the Har Bracha
Yeshiva [Baruch's note: and a similar approach with slight variations is generally adopted by the entire religious-Zionist movement in Israel]. Upon completion of the standard course of study, which lasts five
years (and includes military service), each student chooses the path in life
that he feels truly suits him – whether in religious or secular vocations. The
Yeshiva, for its part, encourages each student to be true to his unique
character. In this manner, many of our students go on to learn a profession,
and they do this on the most prestigious level that they possibly can according
to their ability.
At the same time, they continue to set fixed times for Torah
study each day, internalizing values of self-sacrifice and love for the Torah
and its study and for the scrupulous performance of the commandments. They also
strive to practice much charity and kindness, to aid in the development of the
Land of Israel, and to sanctify God's sacred name.
[article courtesy of: http://www.yeshiva.co/ ]
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