Ben torah. “support” does not = “dowry”. they are 2 different words, both in english and yiddish. This is how Websters defines the word dowry.
Definition of DOWRY
1
archaic : dower 1
2
: the money, goods, or estate that a woman brings to her husband in marriage
3
: a gift of money or property by a man to or for his bride
4
: a natural talent
moreover, lets assume that supporting a family for “x” years IS a dowry, the argument that it has been done this way for quite some time is only partially true. Yes, the girls parents gave a dowry, for the BEST bachur. It was NOT common for ALL bachurim to be supported by their inlaws. Saying otherwise is revisionist history.
I have no problem if ANYONE wants to support their son, son inaw, daughter or daughter inlaw for 5,10, or 100 years. I am just disagreeing with some of the comments being incorrectly thrown around.