Yehuda Shurpin

Columnist, Ask "Rabbi Y" and Content Editor at Chabad.org

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Articles

Where Is the Justice in Chad Gadya?

2 weeks ago | chabad.org | Yehuda Shurpin

A similar version has this explanation as part of a story: It is told that Rabbi Yonasan Eybeschutz was once staying at an inn where simple townsfolk were discussing the famous controversy between him and Rabbi Yaakov Emden. Each person took a different side in the dispute until they began to speak critically of the great Rabbi Yonasan himself—unaware that he was sitting among them, disguised in the clothing of a simple villager.
Why Does Chabad Prefer Onion (and Potato) for Karpas?

3 weeks ago | chabad.org | Yehuda Shurpin

When the Torah commands us to tell the story of the Exodus at the Seder, it frames the entire experience as a parent responding to a curious child’s questions. To spark that curiosity, the sages filled the night with unusual rituals that make a child stop and ask, “What’s going on here?”One such ritual is the dipping of the karpas. Think about it: We take a simple vegetable, dip it in salt water, and eat it before the meal even begins.
Am I Permitted to Reveal Secret Messages? - The controversy surrounding the secret texts shared by The Atlantic

1 month ago | chabad.org | Yehuda Shurpin

Question:Rabbi, I am a journalist that was added to a group chat of high-ranking government officials. I was exposed to some classified material. Is that OK if I share it with my newspaper? OK, just kidding! Obviously, I’m not a journalist. Still, I’m curious: What would Judaism say about it? Response:Revealing secrets is generally prohibited under the Biblical injunction, “You shall not go around as a gossipmonger amidst your people; you shall not stand by [the shedding of] your fellow's blood.
What You Need to Know About Warming Food on Shabbat

1 month ago | chabad.org | Yehuda Shurpin

So, you know you can’t cook or adjust a flame on Shabbat. But does that mean you’re stuck eating only cold food? Not necessarily!Of course, with certain restrictions, you can leave food on the fire from before Shabbat—hello, cholent!But what about food that’s sitting cold in the fridge? Is there a way to warm it up on Shabbat? Let’s break it down.
Do We Really Dip Only on Passover Night?

1 month ago | chabad.org | Yehuda Shurpin

QuestionAs my child was practicing the Mah Nishtanah for the Seder, she asked me about the question "On all other nights, we don’t even dip once, but on this night, we do so twice.” “Wait,” she said, “don’t we dip apples into honey on Rosh Hashanah and the challah into salt all year round?"Reply Interestingly, a child once asked this very question to the Rebbe.
How (& If) to Have a Purim Meal Late on Friday Afternoon

1 month ago | tjvnews.com | Yehuda Shurpin

By Yehuda Shurpin(Chabad.org) his year, Purim falls on a Friday. For most of the day’s observances—hearing the Megillah, giving gifts to the poor, and sending food to friends and family—this just means we need to be a bit more organized. But when it comes to the Purim feast, things get a little more complicated. The seudah is traditionally held late in the afternoon and often runs into the night. But should we do the same when Purim leads straight into Shabbat? And if so, how?
How (& If) to Have a Purim Meal Late on Friday Afternoon - The tricky halachic conundrum of “Pores Mapah Umikadesh”

1 month ago | chabad.org | Yehuda Shurpin

This year, Purim falls on a Friday. For most of the day’s observances—hearing the Megillah, giving gifts to the poor, and sending food to friends and family—this just means we need to be a bit more organized. But when it comes to the Purim feast, things get a little more complicated. The seudah is traditionally held late in the afternoon and often runs into the night. But should we do the same when Purim leads straight into Shabbat? And if so, how?
Judaism and Artificial Intelligence

1 month ago | chabad.org | Tzvi Freeman |Yehuda Shurpin

Every technological advance expands our understanding of ourselves and our world. It also deeply affects society, often shaking social norms and stability. AI learning models, with their capacity to generate information and media, are certainly no exception. It’s vital that we come to an understanding of what these are, how they affects us, and what we must do to best harness them for the benefit, and not detriment, of our world, down to each and every individual. There is nothing new under the sun.
What You Need to Know About Making (and Serving) Cholent

1 month ago | chabad.org | Yehuda Shurpin

There is a mitzvah to have warm food on Shabbat as a way to honor and delight in the day. Traditionally, this is done by serving cholent, a stew that was prepared before Shabbat and slow-cooked until Shabbat day. But cholent is more than just a classic Shabbat dish—it symbolizes the Oral Law’s authority.
Why Read the Megillah Twice?

2 months ago | chabad.org | Yehuda Shurpin

RabbiJoshua ben Levi taught that we read the Megillah twice, as a reflection of theverse in Psalms, “O my G‑d, I call in the day time . . . and in the night I amnot silent.” This verse ispart of a chapter that the sages of the Talmud associate with Queen Esther. RabbiChelbo would quote Ula of Biri, who associated this practice with a differentverse in Psalms: “So that my soul will sing praises to You and not be silent . . .