Rav Saadiya Gaon (Emunah v’deos 10:14) There are Torah scholars who thlnk that it is not appropriate for a person in this world to concern himself with anything other than the acquiring of wisdom... and I found everything they stated concerning wisdom to be true and correct, but their error is that they said that a person should only concern himself with acquiring wisdom and not do other things, because if a person does not concern himself with food, dwelling , and clothing, wisdom will be nullified since there is no existence without them, and if a person casts himself with these needs on other people, he will be despised and ignored, and his words will not be listened to. ... And the sons of Levi did not have a share of the grain but one of thirteen, because they are a tribe from among thirteen. , and G-d gave them the tithe to provide them with food. And these people were solely concerned with acquiring wisdom for otherwise wisdom would have been lost. They were involved exclusively in acquiring and teaching Torah wisdom. And thus it was beneficial for everyone
All the kolleleit use the Levi excuse but
ReplyDelete1) Levi had to work in the Temple and go around teaching people. They didn't just sit out in the fields shteiging over how endless pilpuls.
2) Levi might've been entitled to maaser rishon but they had to go pick it up and process it in to food themselves. They weren't served hot lunches for nothing.