04 Jun WHEN WISDOM ROTS AND VILENESS REIGNS: TORAH INSIGHTS INTO THE MORAL COLLAPSE OF ELITE INSTITUTIONS

In recent months,
President Donald
Trump has taken aim
at elite academic
institutions—most
notably Harvard—accusing them of moral
hypocrisy, Woke indoctrination, and
tolerance of antisemitism. His rhetoric
reflects the growing frustration of many

Americans who believe that once-
respected universities have abandoned

their mission of truth-seeking and
intellectual integrity.
Trump’s battle with these institutions is not
merely political. It reflects a broader
cultural shift: the erosion of moral clarity
in places once entrusted with shaping the
next generation of leaders. Universities
originally founded on virtue, reason, and
open inquiry have increasingly become
echo chambers for ideology, identity
politics, and hostility toward traditional
values—including those rooted in Torah.
From a Torah perspective, this collapse of
moral and intellectual leadership is neither
new nor unexpected. Chazal foresaw it. As
this article will explore, the decay of

wisdom (chokhmat sofrim tisrach) and the
disappearance of truth (veha’emet tehei
ne’ederet) are classic signs of a society in
spiritual decline—ironically, the very
conditions that herald redemption.
The Zohar (Parshat Noach 66b) famously
says that in the 600th year of the sixth
millennium (i.e., the 1840s), the “gates of
wisdom above and below” would open—
Torah and secular knowledge would flood
the world. But when unanchored, that
same wisdom becomes a destructive flood.
Like in the generation of Noach, unchecked
“progress” can become a deluge that
sweeps away morality.
In the final chapter of Masechet Sotah
(49b), Chazal deliver a haunting picture of
the spiritual and societal decay that will
precede the coming of Mashiach. Among
the many signs listed, two stand out with
striking relevance to today’s world:
“חכמת סופרים תסרח…- והאמת תהא נעדרת”
“The wisdom of the scribes will rot… and
truth will be absent.”
These words were not merely a critique of
Torah scholars in name only. Rather,

Chazal describe a world where
wisdom itself—once revered
and upright—begins to decay,
and where truth becomes
elusive, twisted, or even
despised. In a generation that
sees itself as enlightened, that
prides itself on academic
sophistication and intellectual
freedom, this is a sobering
diagnosis.
Yet we see these very symptoms
in the institutions that were
once guardians of moral and
intellectual integrity—most
prominently, elite universities. These
centers of learning, long admired for their
academic excellence and cultural
leadership, now often stand accused of
promoting ideologies divorced from basic
morality, silencing dissent, and fostering
antisemitism under the guise of social
justice. How did this happen?
The Rotting of Wisdom
The Gemara’s phrase “תסרח סופרים חכמת “
— “the wisdom of the scribes will rot” —
doesn’t imply that there will be no learning.
Quite the opposite. It implies that learning
and scholarship will exist, but will become
corrupted from within. Wisdom that lacks
a moral anchor, especially the awe of
Heaven, becomes dangerous.
Chazal knew that intellectual achievement
alone doesn’t protect society — it can just
as easily be weaponized. When scholars
become divorced from humility and truth,
they lose their ability to guide. What
remains is knowledge used for power,
manipulation, or ideology.
This is vividly seen in the modern
university system. Institutions that once
upheld objectivity and critical thought
now celebrate moral relativism, suppress
free speech, and allow hatred of Israel and
the Jewish people to flourish in academic
halls—all in the name of “progress.”
The Gemara foresaw this exact
phenomenon: decayed wisdom in a world
where even Torah values are distorted, let
alone secular ethics.
When Vileness is Exalted
The pasuk in Tehillim 12:9, states:
“ ָָסִבִיב ְר ְ ָׁשִׁעִים ִיִ ְְתַהָּלּכּון- ְּכֻּרֻ ם ֻזֻּלּות ִלְִבְֵנֵי- ָאָדָם”
“The wicked walk on every side when
vileness is exalted among men.”
This Pasuk captures the emotional tone of
our generation (Rashi). When corruption
is celebrated, and those who maintain
traditional values are mocked, then

wickedness becomes the dominant voice
in public discourse.
This is precisely what has happened in
institutions that have traded moral clarity
for ideological fashion. When men are
praised for denying the natural order, when
victimhood becomes a currency of status,
when truth is sacrificed at the altar of
political agendas, reshaim flourish—not in
the shadows, but at podiums, graduation
ceremonies, and faculty lounges.
At that point “the wicked walk freely,”
because the culture no longer resists
them—it applauds them.
Trump and the Torah Viewpoint
Whether one supports the current
administration or not, his vocal challenge
to institutions like Harvard must be
understood as part of a broader
confrontation between decaying Western
values and a growing call to restore truth,
accountability, and moral clarity.
From a Torah perspective, this clash
reflects the deep tension between the decay
of false wisdom and the inevitable rise of
eternal truths. Torah doesn’t oppose
wisdom—it defines it. But when wisdom
is cut loose from its Source, it doesn’t
enlighten. It rots.
Conclusion
The Gemara doesn’t leave us in despair.
The very collapse of corrupted wisdom
and the exposure of institutional decay are
signs that the world is being prepared for
something higher. As darkness deepens, it
sets the stage for the light of Torah to shine
without distortion.
Chazal taught us not to be surprised by this
unraveling. They urged us instead to
remain steadfast, to teach Torah with
clarity, and to recognize the signs of a
world yearning—consciously or not—for
redemption.
.briefly only but” – ְוָהֱֱאֶמֶת ִּתְּהֶיֶה ֶנְֶעְֶּדֶּרֶ ת”
For truth cannot stay hidden forever.