Heirs of the Tribe of Levi, in a manner of speaking?

In my previous post, I speculated that perhaps the point of a priestly and "priests'-assistants" class (in Jewish tradition, Kohanim and Leviim, all members of the Tribe of Levi,) was to remove a certain number of men from the jobs pool and give them dignified but non-productive work so as to enable others to make a living.  This approach may have worked quite well in the days when society consisted largely of farmers and shepherds fighting (among themselves and/or with one another) over limited land.  It certainly doesn't work now, when relatively few people "live off the land" and most individuals must support themselves by other means, as unskilled laborers, skilled tradespeople, "service" workers (such as restaurant employees), office workers, businesspeople, technicians, professionals, etc.

But the idea that some people should be set aside for holy purposes has persisted to this day.  In both Western and Eastern religions, some men and women become priests, monks, or nuns.  In the Jewish community, some men (and, among the non-Orthodox, some women, as well), become rabbis and/or cantors.

In addition, among the Orthodox (and to some extent among the non-Orthodox), men (and, more recently, women as well, I'm happy to say) study long-term in institutions of higher Jewish education known variously as Yeshivot G'vahot/Yeshivot G'dolot/Advanced Yeshivot for men (please correct my transliteration if my grammar is incorrect), Midrashot for women (such as Drisha, Midreshet Lindenbaum, and Nishmat), and Kollelim.  Non-Orthodox Yeshivot G'dolot/Midrashot offering long-term study programs include, for example, Yeshivat Hadar and Pardes.

Rabbis, cantors, and those teaching in community kollelim have roles similar in some ways to the role of the Tribe of Levi in the wilderness and Temple times.  Serving community institutions is their long-term career, and they receive salaries from community institutions in return.

Those who study in kollel for life in non-community kollelim have a role that resembles that of the Tribe of Levi in ancient days, in that their studies are life-long, but, if I understand correctly, their role is different in that they provide little or no tangible service to the community, functioning more as perpetual students than as community scholars or leaders.  Unfortunately, the economy as it currently (mal)functions simply cannot support massive numbers of people who spend their entire adult lives learning rather than earning.  The days of the Kohanim and Leviim living off of tithes are gone, and even they, as Temple functionaries, worked for a living.