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Hillel said in Pirkei Avot 4:5:

Anyone who derives worldly benefit from the words of the Torah removes his life from the world.

The Rambam in his commentary thereon explores the idea of financially benefiting from Torah and strongly rejected the notion that Jews must financially help other Jews study Torah:

When we look into the words of the rabbis... we do not find among them that they were requesting money from people and they did not collect money for the honored and precious academies... Rather, we find, in each and every generation, [that poor scholars lived from] the work in which they engaged.

He considered that depending on the charity of others to study Torah is a form of benefitting from Torah and therefore forbidden.

Is it true that nothing in the Torah or words of the Sages says to support Torah scholars to free them from worldly concerns?

Maurice Mizrahi
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    The Ramba'm thinks so. Others disagree. There's no definite proof either way, both sides dispute the other's evidence. – Lo ani Dec 25 '23 at 21:18
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    https://www.sefaria.org/Rashi_on_Deuteronomy.33.18.2 – Shababnik Dec 25 '23 at 21:22
  • Yes, it says they did engage in private partnerships. But does it say people should push for more of them, campaign for them, and solicit money for them? That's the Rambam's objection. – Maurice Mizrahi Dec 25 '23 at 21:57
  • Comment on Avot. – Maurice Mizrahi Dec 25 '23 at 22:17
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    The Rambam's views on this issue are nuanced and require careful attention. The Rambam holds that it is a problem to impose upon the public to support able-bodied Torah scholars, even if members of the public would respond favorably to the request. The Rambam is not as opposed (depending on the antecedent of "ולא יתירו לעצמם זה") to an arrangement where donors take the initiative to support the studies of a Torah scholar. Even so, the Rambam cites the examples of Rabbi Tarfon and R' Yonasan ben Amram to point out that it is proper for a scholar not to accept benefit for his studies. – Fred Dec 26 '23 at 02:16
  • Related: https://judaism.stackexchange.com/q/26274/ https://judaism.stackexchange.com/q/28500/ https://judaism.stackexchange.com/q/693/ – Fred Dec 26 '23 at 02:21
  • @Fred To add to my previous comment, the Rambam's issue was asking the public to give donations to support Torah scholars who wished not to work. The Rambam (based on the Talmud) was in favor of arrangements whereby other people would invest a Torah scholar's own capital for him, thereby freeing up time for him to study. He also mentioned that Torah scholars are entitled to certain tax exemptions, etc. – Fred Dec 26 '23 at 18:20

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תרגום ירושלמי (יונתן) בראשית מ"ט:ט"ו וחמא נייחא דעלמא דאתי ארום טב וחולקא דארעא דישראל ארום בסימא הוא בגין כן ארכין כתפי למלעי באורייתא והו(י){ו} ליה אחוי מסקי דורונין. And he saw the rest of the world to come that it is good, and the portion of the land of Israel that it is pleasant; therefore bowed he his shoulders to labour in the law, and unto him shall come his brethren bearing presents.

Nahum
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  • How does this answer the question? – Lo ani Dec 25 '23 at 21:36
  • How does it not? It's an ancient source that supports supporting (pun intended) Torah scholars financially – Nahum Dec 25 '23 at 21:38
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    Are you sure it's referring to supporting Torah scholars, and not to rewarding them? – Lo ani Dec 25 '23 at 21:45
  • Have you seen the Netziv's reading of that verse? – Shalom Dec 26 '23 at 02:16
  • Lo ani, I'm not entirely sure what your question is but from the verse's וַיְהִ֖י לְמַס⁠־עֹבֵֽד that the targum is interpreting it seems that it was consistent support. Shalom, I did not. Would you like to fill me in? – Nahum Dec 26 '23 at 02:25
  • To clarify, I am not claiming that this is the only valid interpretation of the verse's many interpretations among the commentaries, or that the Rambam is beholden to a midrashic rendering of it, nor am I necessarily endorsing it's message, I am merely attempting to answer Maurice's question. – Nahum Dec 26 '23 at 02:31
  • @nachum Is this really the only reference in Chazal to fact that Yissachar was supported by his brother(s)? – AKA Dec 26 '23 at 16:52
  • I'm sure there's more but had just seen when reviewing this week's parasha – Nahum Dec 26 '23 at 16:53
  • @nachum yeah, see eg Rashi in Vezos Habracha (quoting a medrash). Does the Rambam ignore the whole concept or is Yissachar/Zevulun different for some reason? See eg Fred's comment above – AKA Dec 26 '23 at 16:57
  • Off the top of my head he mentions doing business with Torah scholars in the context of associating with them דעות ו':ב ולעשות פרקמטיא לתלמידי חכמים and honoring them תלמוד תורה ו':י וכן, אם היתה סחורה לתלמיד חכמים, מניחין אותו למכור תחילה, ואין מניחין אחד מבני השוק למכור עד שימכור הוא – Nahum Dec 26 '23 at 17:08
  • If he does agree with it, as can be seen from his personal conduct with his brother, it may be limited to having someone do business with the scholars money but perhaps not outright handouts, I believe some of the divrei Chazal on yisachar/zevulun lean toward such a reading . . – Nahum Dec 26 '23 at 17:12