The Ashkenazi Revolution

123Furthermore: The attribute of “wretchedness” was not at all foreign toBialik. He had erected a literary industry that demanded public support,traveled outside of the Land of Israel to collect donations for his industry,and so on.More than anything, the greatest “wretchedness” in the life of the People ofIsrael began specifically with the rule of the disciples of Bialik. Beforethis, poor Jews collected charity and there were a few professionalpanhandlers at every level. However, it was specifically the disciples andstudents of the “national poet” who entrenched, in our lives, the greatnetworks of “wretchedness” and the entire social classes, and entirebranches, of the economy that depend upon intentionally taking advantageof the Jewish desire to answer the call of the “wretched”.Of all the meetings of Bialik, the most fateful was the one between him andAhad ha’Am. Bialik stood before Ahad ha’Am like a pupil before histeacher, and he was fascinated by him all his life. Ahad ha’Am did a greatservice to Bialik: He helped him stabilize and build his soul anew after ithad crumbled due to the loss of innocent faith. Bialik lost his god and didnot know who to serve and who would be his new god. Ahad ha’Am had,for this, a clear and convincing answer: “The king is dead, long live theking!” That is to say, the God of Israel is dead, or more accurately was putto death, and Hebrew Literature would inherit his place. It is enough tocompare the words of Bialik on the God of Israel and on Ahad ha’Am inorder to discern the metamorphosis that had occurred in Bialik. In “On theSlaugher”, which is perhaps his finest poem, Bialik utters his famouswords:If there is justice – let it appear immediately!But if, after my demise from under the heavens,ice appears –Let its throne be cast down forever!