Two Resets of Jewish Identity: The Ten Commandments. October 7.

This week, I visited my son and his family in Ramat Beit Shemesh and prayed in one of the local Haredi synagogues. I picked up a sefer and turned to Parashat Yitro. This week’s parsha includes the Ten Commandments. The text I was reading emphasized the deep reverence for the Torah and compared a Torah scholar to a bearer of the Ten Commandments. It highlighted the respect given to rabbinic leadership, which views Torah study as our highest sacred duty.

Later, I opened my phone to check the evening news on the Jerusalem Post, only to be met with two deeply unsettling article headlines:

• Top Haredi leader calls for Arab rule over Israel, says Zionism brought ‘disasters’
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• Jewish actor Wallace Shawn claims Israel is ‘demonically evil,’ worse than Nazis
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The harshness and divisiveness of these comments left me questioning:

• How do we reconcile our religious and Zionist mission with the internal fractures within our people?
• How do we understand the stark contrast between those who see Jewish survival through Torah and isolation, those who see it in sovereignty and strength, and those consumed by self-hate?
• And most urgently—where do we go from here after the October 7th reset?

The following morning, I picked up another book—War and Redemption, which explores the current war and the footsteps of Messianic redemption. The book, based on the teachings of Rabbi Moshe Sternbach, the leader of Haredi Judaism in Jerusalem, reflects on the spiritual state of our people leading up to October 7th. Rabbi Sternbach was deeply agitated by the widespread disrespect for religion and Torah, culminating in the Yom Kippur mechitza incident—a moment he saw as a dangerous low point.

One quote of his before October 7 stood out:

“Every Jew must realize that any calamities in Eretz Yisrael, chas v’shalom, will spread to the world. We must strengthen our emunah (faith) so that we can face any eventuality.”

The book describes the Jewish path to redemption as one of affliction, repentance, mercy, and prayer. To avert evil decrees, we must follow the ways of our forefathers—returning to Torah, repentance, prayer, and charity.

We are living in such a time.

The Ten Commandments: A Reset for Civilization

The Ten Commandments, given at Mount Sinai, were more than a religious revelation; they were a moral revolution—an unprecedented event in human history.

Before Sinai, morality was dictated by power. Kings ruled by force. Gods were imagined in human form—fallible, self-serving, and indifferent to justice. Societies were built on might, not right. No universal code applied equally to rulers and the ruled, the rich and the poor, the free and the enslaved.

Then came Sinai.

For the first time, divine law was given to an entire people. It was not just a system of governance but a covenant binding a nation to a higher moral standard. It established justice, human dignity, and the belief that all people are accountable to a moral order beyond human power.

This was a reset in world history. It reshaped civilisations, laying the foundation for Western ethics, democracy, and justice. More than that, the Ten Commandments form the bedrock of Jewish identity—the foundation of Jewish morality, spirituality, and covenantal purpose.

Rabbi Jonathan Sacks often taught that the Commandments are not merely laws but a framework for building a just society, a moral community, and a relationship with God—a Covenant with the Divine. They encapsulate what it means to be Jewish: a people with a unique mission to bring holiness, justice, and compassion into the world.

And yet, history has a way of drifting from its moral anchors.

Today, truth is manipulated, justice is distorted, and morality is dictated by ideology. The Ten Commandments were meant to prevent exactly this.

This is why, in our time, we face another reset moment.

October 7th: A Reset for Jewish Identity

On October 7th, 2023, the Jewish world was shattered. Hamas launched a barbaric attack on Israel, murdering over 1,400 people, wounding thousands, and taking hundreds hostage. This atrocity—occurring on Simchat Torah, a day celebrating Jewish joy—was not just an assault on Israel. It was an assault on Jewish identity, sovereignty, and the very essence of our people.

Yet, in the face of this darkness, October 7th became a moment of reckoning—a tragic but necessary reset for Jewish and Israeli identity. It has reignited questions about purpose, resilience, and what it truly means to be Jewish and Israeli in the 21st century.

A Wake-Up Call for Jewish Identity

For decades, Jewish identity in the Diaspora has struggled with assimilation, disengagement, and a growing distance from Israel. October 7th shattered any illusion of safety or apathy. The horror of the attacks—a modern-day pogrom—reminded Jews worldwide that antisemitism and the threat of annihilation are not relics of the past.

This wake-up call has sparked a renewed connection to Jewish identity. Across the world, Jewish communities have rallied in solidarity, organising vigils, prayers, and advocacy campaigns. The attack reinforced the importance of the Torah, tradition, and our shared history as one people. It reminded us of who we are: a resilient and eternal nation rooted in faith and united by purpose.

The Road Ahead: A Holistic Jewish Identity

I have always lived between three worlds—each deeply ingrained in who I am, yet each presenting its own challenges:

• The Haredi world—where my son and grandchildren thrive, and where Torah study remains the ultimate value.
• Religious Zionism—where I believe in the miracle of Israel, the duty to build and defend it, and the fusion of faith with national destiny.
• The secular-modern world—where I operate in business, engage with global society and live in the tensions of defending Israel and promoting my business and activism, promoting the Israeli Band in a morally bankrupt world while integrating faith with modernity.

These three worlds do not always align. They often feel like parallel universes. But October 7th shattered any illusion that we could afford to live in separate worlds. It became clear—painfully and powerfully—that our Jewish identity is not a private matter. It is an existential reality.

At Mount Sinai, the Jewish people stood together and declared: “Na’aseh v’nishma”—We will do, and we will listen.

There was no ambiguity. No one asked, “Am I part of this?” Every Jew, from the most devout to the most sceptical, accepted their shared fate and mission.

After October 7th, we experienced our own Sinai moment—a painful but powerful awakening. Suddenly, our differences faded in the face of a more profound truth: We are one people with one destiny.

Conclusion: Our Sinai Moment

October 7th was a reset.

Now, we must decide: Will we repeat the mistakes of the past, or will we reclaim our unity, purpose, and responsibility?

History will judge us—not by what happened to us, but by how we responded.

For me, the answer is clear. I embrace all three identities because today, more than ever, we must stand strong—as one people with one purpose and shared destiny.

Cover images – sourced on FaceBook