Last updated: 13 August 2026
These terms are the agreement between you and Shamash ("we", "us") covering your use of the Shamash app on iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch. By using Shamash you accept them. If you do not accept them, please do not use the app.
Who can use Shamash
You must be at least 18 years old. Shamash is currently offered in the United States and its interface is in English.
What Shamash is, and what it is not
Shamash is a study companion. It presents Torah text, a daily practice, and learning tools to help you build a regular habit of study.
Shamash is not a halachic authority and does not issue rulings. Nothing in the app is a psak, a legal opinion, or a substitute for consulting a rabbi or a qualified teacher. Where the app offers explanation or commentary, it is educational material, not a decision about what you should do.
Observance times such as candle lighting and sunset are calculated from your location and standard astronomical methods. Calculations vary between communities and customs. Treat the times in Shamash as a convenience and follow your own community's practice.
Shamash is not medical, legal, financial, or mental health advice. If you are in crisis, contact your local emergency services.
Your account
An account is optional. Reading, daily study, bookmarks, and progress work without one.
If you create an account, keep your password confidential and tell us promptly at support@sanctuarypray.com if you believe it has been compromised. You are responsible for activity under your account. Provide accurate information and do not create an account for anyone else.
You may delete your account at any time from the Profile screen.
Acceptable use
Please do not:
copyright law allows
controls
- Use Shamash to break the law or infringe anyone's rights
- Copy, scrape, resell, or redistribute the app or its content beyond what
- Reverse engineer the app or try to defeat its security or its subscription
- Interfere with the service, overload it, or attempt unauthorised access
- Present Shamash's output as rabbinic authority
We may suspend or end access that breaks these rules or puts other people at risk.
Shamash Pro
Shamash Pro is an optional auto-renewing subscription.
Prices. $6.99 per month, or $39.99 per year. Prices are in US dollars and may differ in other regions.
Free trial. The annual plan includes a 7-day free trial for new subscribers. The monthly plan does not include a trial. If you subscribe to a plan that offers a free trial, any unused portion of that trial is forfeited when you purchase.
Payment. Payment is charged to your Apple ID account at confirmation of purchase.
Renewal. Your subscription renews automatically unless you turn off auto-renew at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Your account is charged for renewal within 24 hours before the end of the current period, at the price of the plan you selected.
Managing and cancelling. You manage your subscription and turn off auto-renew in your Apple ID account settings. Deleting the app does not cancel your subscription. We cannot cancel it for you.
Refunds. Purchases are handled by Apple, so refunds are governed by Apple's policies and requested through Apple. We cannot issue refunds directly.
Family Sharing is not available for Shamash Pro at this time.
Changes. If we change the price or what Pro includes, we will tell you before the change applies to your subscription, and you will have the chance to cancel.
We do not advertise Pro benefits that the app does not deliver. If a feature is listed on the paywall, it is available to subscribers on that plan.
Content and licences
Torah text. The Hebrew text (Tanach with Nikkud) and the English translation (The Holy Scriptures: A New Translation, Jewish Publication Society, 1917) included in the app are in the public domain. We are grateful to Sefaria for making these editions available in a usable form.
Additional sources. Where Shamash displays commentary or other editions retrieved from external sources, those remain the property of their respective rights holders and are subject to their own licence terms.
The app itself. The Shamash name, design, artwork, and software are ours. We grant you a personal, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable licence to use the app on devices you own or control, as permitted by the App Store Terms of Service. This licence does not transfer ownership of anything.
Your content. Bookmarks, notes, and flashcards you create remain yours. You grant us only the permission needed to store them and show them back to you.
Generated explanations. Where Shamash produces explanatory text automatically, it may be incomplete or wrong. Check it against the source and against a qualified teacher before relying on it. Do not treat it as an authoritative statement of Jewish law or tradition.
Availability
We aim to keep Shamash working, and we do not promise it will be uninterrupted or error free. We may change, suspend, or discontinue features. If we discontinue something you paid for, we will handle it fairly and tell you in advance where we reasonably can.
Torah text is included in the app and remains readable without a network connection. Features that need a server require one.
Disclaimers
To the fullest extent permitted by law, Shamash is provided "as is" and "as available", without warranties of any kind, express or implied, including implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement.
We do not warrant that the app will meet your requirements, that observance times will match your community's practice, or that content will be free of errors or omissions.
Limitation of liability
To the fullest extent permitted by law, we are not liable for indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, or for lost profits, data, or goodwill, arising from your use of Shamash.
Our total liability for any claim relating to Shamash is limited to the greater of the amount you paid us in the twelve months before the claim, or $50.
Some jurisdictions do not allow certain limitations, so parts of this section may not apply to you.
Ending these terms
You may stop using Shamash at any time by deleting the app and, if you wish, your account. We may suspend or end your access if you break these terms or if we are required to by law.
The sections on content and licences, disclaimers, limitation of liability, and governing law survive the end of this agreement. Ending your access does not by itself cancel a subscription billed by Apple.
Apple
Apple is not a party to these terms and is not responsible for Shamash. Apple has no obligation to provide support for the app. Apple and its subsidiaries are third-party beneficiaries of these terms and may enforce them against you.
Any claim that the app fails to conform to a warranty may be reported to Apple, and Apple may refund the purchase price. Beyond that, Apple has no warranty obligation for the app.
Governing law
These terms are governed by the laws of the State of California, United States, without regard to its conflict-of-law rules. Subject to any non-waivable right you have to bring a claim elsewhere, disputes will be handled exclusively in the state and federal courts located in Los Angeles County, California, and you and we consent to their jurisdiction.
Nothing here removes or limits a consumer protection right or remedy that the law of your home jurisdiction does not allow you to waive.
Changes to these terms
We may update these terms. If a change is significant, we will tell you in the app before it takes effect and update the date at the top. Continuing to use Shamash after that means you accept the updated terms.
Contact
We aim to respond within two business days.
Privacy is covered separately in our Privacy Policy.