# Pshat

> Pshat (pshat.org) makes Jewish learning and living simple, connected and trustworthy: a structured, sourced, bilingual (English and Hebrew) guide, from an Orthodox perspective, for beginners to intermediate learners. Every statement points to the source that says it. Pshat's own content and data are public domain (CC0); imported texts keep their own licenses.

Pshat is written and checked by AI, from the sources shown on every page. Mistakes can happen: check the sources, tell us when something is wrong, and ask your rav about your own situation. Pshat reports halacha per community, with its sources; it never paskens for individuals.

When you use Pshat, please cite both Pshat and the source it's based on, for example: Pshat.org, "Genesis 12:5", https://www.pshat.org/en/bereshit/12/5 (based on Rashi on Genesis 12:5). Citing is requested, not required.

## The site

Every page exists in English (/en/…) and in Hebrew (/he/…).

- [Today](https://www.pshat.org/en): this week's parsha, the next date in the Jewish year, today's daf and mishnah
- [Search](https://www.pshat.org/en/search?q=gen%2012%205): one box for everything: references ("gen 12 5", "בראשית יב ה", "berakhot 35a"), names and aliases, questions
- [Learn](https://www.pshat.org/en/learn): the texts, explained: the Torah, Nach, the Mishnah, the Talmud, Midrash, all of halacha by topic, mussar and Jewish thought
- [Practice](https://www.pshat.org/en/practice): halacha by situation, the Jewish year, prayer essentials
- [Explore](https://www.pshat.org/en/explore): people, places, events and the timeline, concepts and terms, lists, mitzvot, foods, animals and plants

## Page addresses

- A verse: https://www.pshat.org/en/bereshit/12/5 (book names in transliterated Hebrew)
- A parsha: https://www.pshat.org/en/bereshit/lech-lecha
- The Mishnah and the Talmud: https://www.pshat.org/en/mishnah/berakhot/6/1, https://www.pshat.org/en/bavli/berakhot/35a, https://www.pshat.org/en/yerushalmi/berakhot/1/1
- The codes: https://www.pshat.org/en/mishneh-torah/shabbat/1/1, https://www.pshat.org/en/shulchan-aruch/orach-chaim/167/2, https://www.pshat.org/en/mishnah-berurah/167/5, https://www.pshat.org/en/kitzur/41/1
- Halacha, prayer and the year: https://www.pshat.org/en/halacha/blessing-on-bread, https://www.pshat.org/en/prayer/shema, https://www.pshat.org/en/calendar/pesach
- Hubs (one page per person, place, concept, food…): https://www.pshat.org/en/people/rashi, https://www.pshat.org/en/places/charan, https://www.pshat.org/en/concepts/gezeira, https://www.pshat.org/en/foods/banana
- Lists and guides: https://www.pshat.org/en/lists/39-melachot, https://www.pshat.org/en/guides/how-halacha-works
- A page's history (its changelog): https://www.pshat.org/en/history?page=bereshit/12/5

## The API

Free and open, with no keys and no paid tiers. The public API is being built: https://api.pshat.org/v1, with an OpenAPI spec at /v1/openapi.json. Every response carries its sources (refs and quotes), a citation, the license and a link to the page's history; responses can be pinned to an immutable release with ?release=. Common parameters: lang=en|he, level=1|2, community=ashkenazi|sephardi|chabad.

- GET /v1/refs/parse?q=…: canonical refs from any input ("Gen 12:5", "בראשית יב ה")
- GET /v1/units/{ref}: one unit of any text, assembled: texts, explanations, questions and views, links, context
- GET /v1/texts/{ref}: the raw text by version and language
- GET /v1/entities/{kind}/{slug}: an entity of any kind, with include=angles for its hub
- GET /v1/halacha/{slug}: rulings per community, reasons, the source trail
- GET /v1/prayers/{slug}: a prayer explained
- GET /v1/occasions/{slug}?year=…: an occasion and its dates that year
- GET /v1/calendar?from=…&to=…: occasions, Rosh Chodesh, fasts and the weekly parsha
- GET /v1/lists/{slug}: a list with its defining source
- GET /v1/search?q=…: intent-first search
- GET /v1/changes?page=…&since=…: the changelog
- GET /v1/releases: bulk data releases (JSONL and Parquet, CC0 for Pshat's content)

An MCP server for assistants offers lookup_ref, explain_unit, get_entity, search, halacha, occasion and find_sources; every result includes sources and a citation.

## Policies

- [How Pshat is made](https://www.pshat.org/en/about/how-pshat-is-made): evidence over authority, the checks, the changelog, the AI note
- [How to cite Pshat](https://www.pshat.org/en/about/cite): formats for people and machines
- [Credits](https://www.pshat.org/en/about/credits): the editions and datasets whose licenses ask for a credit line
- [API and data](https://www.pshat.org/en/about/api): the API, data releases, AI access and licensing

## Optional

- [Recent changes](https://www.pshat.org/en/history): every visible change, with what changed and who suggested it
- [Sitemap](https://www.pshat.org/sitemap.xml): every page, in both languages