Sof Kol Sof, they can have “other standards”. Until you prove to me that the RBSO wants them to act as they do (and not the rest of us for some reason, as He didn’t tell us to do so in His Torah or via His Chazal), they are not “higher” standards. They are not “more Torahdike”. They are “Kollel” or “learning Torah full time”, and Kol HaKavod to them if that is what they believe the RBSO wants from them.
Firstly: Even if you deny that spending a full day in Limmud HaToirah is more ideal than spending a day in the stock market, my point still stands. I was coming from an observation that the Kollel homes have a stronger and more deeply engrained connection to Yiddishkeit, and the many many mailos of these homes result in children who IMHO seem like better Oivdei Hashem. [Of course, my ananlysis would be corrupt in your eyes; I value things like being Oisek B’Toirah, Mesiras Nefesh and Harbatzas Hatoirah – things that seem to get people upset] My point: Even if the work itself is all equal, the consequences are more “Torahdik”.
Secondly: I have absolutely no sofek that the Rotzon Hashem for someone who is able to is to sit and be Oisek BaToirah without anything else. Yes, I have seen all the Gemaras, the Rambams, the Shu”a, etc. The general consensus of every single ???? I have seen is that it is commended to the highest degree to sit and learn in Kollel. There are terutzim to all the Gemaras and Ramba”ms which convey conflicting messages. And above all, the Poskim say that ?? ????? ??’ ????? ?????? – the continuity of Torah in our generation would be ????? the Kollel movement. R’ Moshe zt”l goes so far as to say that anybody who doesn’t go to Kollel because of these Rambams is just fooling himself, and it is the ??? ????. (Perhaps in a different thread, it would be K’dai to post the relevant M”Ms).
3: Response to “4”: 4. I am an individual with some learning, a family and lineage to be proud of, a job where I get to work for the benefit of Am Yisroel every day, and I DON’T EVEN HOLD A CANDLE TO THE UNLEARNED MILDLY OBSERVANT MENIAL WORKER WHO DOES CHESED AND GIVES TZEDOKOH IN THE MOST BASIC WAYS WITH LOVE EVERY DAY, WEEK, OR MONTH. I am humbled by the humility and gentle nature of these many tzadikim and tzidkaniyos who rarely hear a shiur or learn bechavrusah because they are working three jobs to sustain their family, but they still have time and a few dollars to bring groceries and some companionship to the lonely, immobile widow in the apartment above theirs.
Don’t allow bringing the wonderful merits of other people to distort you from the value of learning Torah. X being good doesn’t make it better than Y. Every mitzvah is infinitely good in its own rights.
4: And it says ?????? ???? ???? ????. The zechus of learning Torah surpasses that of Gemilas Chassadim. (It is impossible for me to convey here that we are all humbled by the humility and gentle nature etc. etc. – it truly is unbelieveable to see these people give up their time, money and effort for others in such a selfless fashion. But the “pushete yid” shoemaker wasn’t better than the N’tziv.
5. In response to “3”: I have never heard a single comment, seen a single snide look, or felt condescended to in any way at all. The only discernable sign of superiority is the fact that they don’t eat in my house. And never has that been made into a statement. And arguing this is, of course, irrelevant to our discussion.