On the Slaughter

"On the Slaughter" is a Hebrew poem written by Haim Nahman Bialik in 1903, in response to the Kishinev Pogrom. The poem is one of the literary reactions to the massacre of Jews in Kishinev, expressing deep despair and anger over the violence and the lack of justice.

History

The poem was written in the aftermath of the Kishinev Pogrom, one of the brutal anti-Jewish riots in the Russian Empire. The pogrom, instigated by antisemitic propaganda and tolerated by the authorities, resulted in the murder of 49 Jews, the wounding of hundreds, and the destruction of Jewish homes and businesses.
Bialik, who was commissioned to document the atrocities, later wrote "In [the City of Slaughter]", a much longer and more detailed poem condemning the inaction and passivity of Jewish men. "On the Slaughter" is a shorter, more direct expression of grief, horror, and hopelessness.

Poetic themes

The poem is marked by: A deep sense of despair and anger, Vivid, graphic imagery and Religious and biblical references.

Publication

When the poem was submitted for publication in the literary journal HaShiloah, the Warsaw censor, Nehemiah Zaksh, was hesitant to approve it. The editor of HaShiloah, Joseph Klausner, sent the poem—along with a payment of 25 rubles—for approval by the chief censor in Saint Petersburg, Israel Landa, a former Chabad Hasid who had converted to Christianity in order to obtain residence rights in the city.
The publication of the poem was delayed for two months. Eventually, it was approved for publication, but with alterations: the title "On the Slaughter" and the phrase "My blood is permitted" were deemed critical of the Tsarist regime and had to be changed. The poem was published under the title "Heavens, Seek Mercy Upon Me", and the phrase "My blood is permitted" was replaced with "Raise the axe". Bialik was forced to accept these changes reluctantly. However, when his poems were later compiled into a book, the original title and wording were restored.