Why Ahmed El-Ahmad Came to the Ohel

This week we read one of the most powerful passages in the Torah. Moses, who was raised in Pharaoh’s palace, went out one day and saw an Egyptian striking a Hebrew slave. Unable to tolerate the injustice, Moses intervened.
As the verse says: “Moses turned this way and that way and saw that there was no one, so he struck down the Egyptian.”
Over the generations, the sages have analyzed every word of this verse. Where was Moses until now? Did he not know about the suffering of the Israelites? How exactly did he kill the Egyptian? And what does it mean that he “turned this way and that way and saw that there was no one”?
Some explain that Moses looked to see whether anyone was watching, and seeing no one, he knew he could act without being caught. Others interpret it more mystically, suggesting that Moses perceived there was no redemptive quality in this individual. Still others go even deeper, proposing that Moses foresaw no future spiritual potential or redeeming merit even among his possible descendants. Each interpretation offers meaningful insight.
But I came across an interpretation that speaks powerfully to Moses’ character. Moses saw a Jew suffering. He looked around and realized no one was coming to help. Everyone was absorbed in their own lives, with no time, energy, or courage to intervene. So Moses acted.
That is Moses. He does not remain comfortably in the palace. Nothing is too difficult or too insignificant, especially when something or someone is being overlooked or ignored by others.
Reading this deepened my understanding of Moses and strengthened my appreciation for the Rebbe’s impact on the Jewish people and on humanity. It also reminded me that this lesson calls on each of us to notice what is being neglected and to take responsibility in our own lives.
Earlier this week, I was reminded of this in a very real way. One of the great heroes of the Bondi Beach attack was Ahmed El-Ahmad, a Muslim man who happened to be nearby when the terrorists began their rampage. Instead of fleeing, he courageously confronted and disarmed one of the attackers, sustaining multiple gunshot wounds himself.
This week he came to America where he is being honored, and met with elected leaders in Congress to speak about courage, the rise in Jew hatred, and why all good people must stand up against it. But the first place he chose to visit was the Rebbe' Ohel in Queens, where he prayed for healing and peace and offered thanks for his survival.
What drew him there? Why would a Muslim man born in Syria and living in Australia feel comfort and inspiration at the Rebbe’s gravesite?
Perhaps it is the very quality the Rebbe identified in Moses that so many recognize in the Rebbe himself: seeing a problem, noticing someone in need, realizing that maybe no one else is stepping forward, and choosing to act. This is true leadership, and it continues to inspire and draw people of every background and faith to his vision, his teachings, and even to his resting place.