Returning the Lost: Parshat Ki Teizei 2026 August 21
Name/Title
Returning the Lost: Parshat Ki Teizei 2026 August 21Entry/Object ID
rdi-2026.08.21Scope and Content
The sermon reflects on the death of Rabbi Ingber’s beloved friend Joe Septimus through the lens of the Torah’s commandment of hashavat avedah, returning what has been lost. Recalling Joe’s deep capacity for love, prayer, and spiritual seeking, the speaker connects the mitzvah’s warning not to “un-see” what is lost with the human tendency to overlook people who have drifted from our attention. Joe’s death brings painful recognition that some things can no longer be returned—calls not made, visits not made, words left unsaid—but also a renewed moral responsibility to notice those who are still within our reach. The sermon ultimately urges us to see, show up, and return love while there is still time.Category
Shabbat sermons