Torah Scholar
Research Jewish texts with full access to the Sefaria library: Tanach, Talmud Bavli/Yerushalmi, Mishnah, Midrash, Zohar, and thousands of commentaries.
Quick Start
# Search across all texts
torah search "love your neighbor"
# Get specific verse with Hebrew + English
torah verse "Leviticus 19:18"
# Find commentaries on a verse
torah links "Genesis 1:1"
# This week's parsha
torah parsha
# Today's learning schedule (Daf Yomi, etc.)
torah today
Commands
| Command |
Description |
Example |
torah search <query> |
Full-text search |
torah search "tikkun olam" |
torah verse <ref> |
Get text + translation |
torah verse "Psalms 23" |
torah links <ref> |
Commentaries & cross-refs |
torah links "Exodus 20:1" |
torah related <ref> |
Related texts & topics |
torah related "Deuteronomy 6:4" |
torah parsha |
This week's portion |
torah parsha |
torah today |
Daily learning schedule |
torah today |
torah dvar |
Generate dvar Torah |
torah dvar |
torah dvar ref <ref> |
Dvar on specific verse |
torah dvar ref "Genesis 12:1" |
torah dvar theme <theme> |
Dvar with theme focus |
torah dvar theme "leadership" |
Reference Formats
Tanach (Hebrew Bible)
- Books: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy (Torah)
- Nevi'im: Joshua, Judges, Samuel, Kings, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, etc.
- Ketuvim: Psalms, Proverbs, Job, Song of Songs, Ruth, Ecclesiastes, etc.
- Format:
Book Chapter:Verse or Book Chapter:Start-End
- Examples:
Genesis 1:1, Psalms 23, Isaiah 40:1-5
Talmud
- Bavli (Babylonian):
Tractate DafNumber + a or b
- Examples:
Berakhot 2a, Shabbat 31a, Bava Metzia 59b
- Major tractates: Berakhot, Shabbat, Eruvin, Pesachim, Yoma, Sukkah, Beitzah, Rosh Hashanah, Taanit, Megillah, Moed Katan, Chagigah, Yevamot, Ketubot, Nedarim, Nazir, Sotah, Gittin, Kiddushin, Bava Kamma, Bava Metzia, Bava Batra, Sanhedrin, Makkot, Shevuot, Avodah Zarah, Horayot, Zevachim, Menachot, Chullin, Bekhorot, Arakhin, Temurah, Keritot, Meilah, Tamid, Niddah
Mishnah
- Format:
Mishnah Tractate Chapter:Mishnah
- Examples:
Mishnah Avot 1:1, Mishnah Berakhot 1:1
Midrash
- Midrash Rabbah:
Genesis Rabbah 1:1, Exodus Rabbah 1:1
- Midrash Tanchuma:
Tanchuma Bereshit 1
- Other:
Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer 1
Commentaries
- Access via
torah links <ref> to see Rashi, Ramban, Ibn Ezra, Sforno, etc.
Research Workflows
Find Sources on a Topic
# 1. Search for topic
torah search "repentance teshuvah"
# 2. Get full text of relevant result
torah verse "Maimonides Hilchot Teshuvah 2:1"
# 3. Find related commentaries
torah links "Maimonides Hilchot Teshuvah 2:1"
Prepare a Dvar Torah
# 1. Get this week's parsha
torah parsha
# 2. Read the opening verses
torah verse "Genesis 12:1-5" # (adjust to actual parsha)
# 3. Find commentaries for insights
torah links "Genesis 12:1"
# 4. Search for thematic connections
torah search "lech lecha journey"
Study Daf Yomi
# 1. Check today's daf
torah today
# 2. Get the text
torah verse "Berakhot 2a" # (from calendar)
# 3. See what it connects to
torah links "Berakhot 2a"
Generate a Dvar Torah
# Quick dvar for this week's parsha
torah dvar
# Focus on specific verse
torah dvar ref "Exodus 28:1"
# Explore a theme across sources
torah dvar theme "holiness and service"
The dvar generator outputs:
- Opening verses with Hebrew + English
- Key commentaries (Rashi, Ramban, Sforno, etc.)
- Related sources across the library
- Suggested structure (hook → problem → sources → resolution → application)
- Themes to explore further
Python API
For advanced usage, import directly:
from scripts.sefaria import get_text, search, get_links, get_parsha
# Get verse
result = get_text("Genesis 1:1")
print(result.get("he")) # Hebrew
print(result.get("text")) # English
# Search
results = search("golden rule", limit=5)
# Get commentaries
links = get_links("Leviticus 19:18")
Tips
- Hebrew search: Sefaria supports Hebrew queries:
torah search "ואהבת לרעך כמוך"
- Partial refs:
torah verse "Psalms 23" returns entire chapter
- Ranges:
torah verse "Genesis 1:1-5" for multiple verses
- Talmud context: Daf refs include both amud a and b context
Limitations
- Rate-limited by Sefaria (be respectful of their free API)
- Some texts may have Hebrew only (no English translation)
- Search is full-text, not semantic (exact/stemmed matches)
Source
Powered by Sefaria — the free, open-source library of Jewish texts.
1---2name: torah-scholar3description: Search and explore Jewish texts (Torah, Tanach, Talmud, Midrash, commentaries) via Sefaria API. Use when researching Torah sources, looking up verses, finding commentaries, cross-references, or preparing divrei Torah. Supports Hebrew and English. Handles references like "Genesis 1:1", "Berakhot 2a", "Mishnah Avot 1:1".4---5
6# Torah Scholar
7
8Research Jewish texts with full access to the Sefaria library: Tanach, Talmud Bavli/Yerushalmi, Mishnah, Midrash, Zohar, and thousands of commentaries.
9
10## Quick Start
11
12```bash
13# Search across all texts
14torah search "love your neighbor"
15
16# Get specific verse with Hebrew + English
17torah verse "Leviticus 19:18"
18
19# Find commentaries on a verse
20torah links "Genesis 1:1"
21
22# This week's parsha
23torah parsha
24
25# Today's learning schedule (Daf Yomi, etc.)
26torah today
27```
28
29## Commands
30
31| Command | Description | Example |
32|---------|-------------|---------|
33| `torah search <query>` | Full-text search | `torah search "tikkun olam"` |
34| `torah verse <ref>` | Get text + translation | `torah verse "Psalms 23"` |
35| `torah links <ref>` | Commentaries & cross-refs | `torah links "Exodus 20:1"` |
36| `torah related <ref>` | Related texts & topics | `torah related "Deuteronomy 6:4"` |
37| `torah parsha` | This week's portion | `torah parsha` |
38| `torah today` | Daily learning schedule | `torah today` |
39| `torah dvar` | Generate dvar Torah | `torah dvar` |
40| `torah dvar ref <ref>` | Dvar on specific verse | `torah dvar ref "Genesis 12:1"` |
41| `torah dvar theme <theme>` | Dvar with theme focus | `torah dvar theme "leadership"` |
42
43## Reference Formats
44
45### Tanach (Hebrew Bible)
46- Books: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy (Torah)
47- Nevi'im: Joshua, Judges, Samuel, Kings, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, etc.
48- Ketuvim: Psalms, Proverbs, Job, Song of Songs, Ruth, Ecclesiastes, etc.
49- Format: `Book Chapter:Verse` or `Book Chapter:Start-End`
50- Examples: `Genesis 1:1`, `Psalms 23`, `Isaiah 40:1-5`
51
52### Talmud
53- Bavli (Babylonian): `Tractate DafNumber` + `a` or `b`
54- Examples: `Berakhot 2a`, `Shabbat 31a`, `Bava Metzia 59b`
55- Major tractates: Berakhot, Shabbat, Eruvin, Pesachim, Yoma, Sukkah, Beitzah, Rosh Hashanah, Taanit, Megillah, Moed Katan, Chagigah, Yevamot, Ketubot, Nedarim, Nazir, Sotah, Gittin, Kiddushin, Bava Kamma, Bava Metzia, Bava Batra, Sanhedrin, Makkot, Shevuot, Avodah Zarah, Horayot, Zevachim, Menachot, Chullin, Bekhorot, Arakhin, Temurah, Keritot, Meilah, Tamid, Niddah
56
57### Mishnah
58- Format: `Mishnah Tractate Chapter:Mishnah`
59- Examples: `Mishnah Avot 1:1`, `Mishnah Berakhot 1:1`
60
61### Midrash
62- Midrash Rabbah: `Genesis Rabbah 1:1`, `Exodus Rabbah 1:1`
63- Midrash Tanchuma: `Tanchuma Bereshit 1`
64- Other: `Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer 1`
65
66### Commentaries
67- Access via `torah links <ref>` to see Rashi, Ramban, Ibn Ezra, Sforno, etc.
68
69## Research Workflows
70
71### Find Sources on a Topic
72```bash
73# 1. Search for topic
74torah search "repentance teshuvah"
75
76# 2. Get full text of relevant result
77torah verse "Maimonides Hilchot Teshuvah 2:1"
78
79# 3. Find related commentaries
80torah links "Maimonides Hilchot Teshuvah 2:1"
81```
82
83### Prepare a Dvar Torah
84```bash
85# 1. Get this week's parsha
86torah parsha
87
88# 2. Read the opening verses
89torah verse "Genesis 12:1-5" # (adjust to actual parsha)
90
91# 3. Find commentaries for insights
92torah links "Genesis 12:1"
93
94# 4. Search for thematic connections
95torah search "lech lecha journey"
96```
97
98### Study Daf Yomi
99```bash
100# 1. Check today's daf
101torah today
102
103# 2. Get the text
104torah verse "Berakhot 2a" # (from calendar)
105
106# 3. See what it connects to
107torah links "Berakhot 2a"
108```
109
110### Generate a Dvar Torah
111```bash
112# Quick dvar for this week's parsha
113torah dvar
114
115# Focus on specific verse
116torah dvar ref "Exodus 28:1"
117
118# Explore a theme across sources
119torah dvar theme "holiness and service"
120```
121
122The dvar generator outputs:
123- Opening verses with Hebrew + English
124- Key commentaries (Rashi, Ramban, Sforno, etc.)
125- Related sources across the library
126- Suggested structure (hook → problem → sources → resolution → application)
127- Themes to explore further
128
129## Python API
130
131For advanced usage, import directly:
132
133```python
134from scripts.sefaria import get_text, search, get_links, get_parsha
135
136# Get verse
137result = get_text("Genesis 1:1")
138print(result.get("he")) # Hebrew
139print(result.get("text")) # English
140
141# Search
142results = search("golden rule", limit=5)
143
144# Get commentaries
145links = get_links("Leviticus 19:18")
146```
147
148## Tips
149
150- **Hebrew search**: Sefaria supports Hebrew queries: `torah search "ואהבת לרעך כמוך"`
151- **Partial refs**: `torah verse "Psalms 23"` returns entire chapter
152- **Ranges**: `torah verse "Genesis 1:1-5"` for multiple verses
153- **Talmud context**: Daf refs include both amud a and b context
154
155## Limitations
156
157- Rate-limited by Sefaria (be respectful of their free API)
158- Some texts may have Hebrew only (no English translation)
159- Search is full-text, not semantic (exact/stemmed matches)
160
161## Source
162
163Powered by [Sefaria](https://www.sefaria.org) — the free, open-source library of Jewish texts.
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