Terms of Service

Last updated: April 29, 2026

Short version: use the app for personal Jewish learning, treat the content with the same respect the tradition does, don't redistribute or scrape it, and understand that we provide it as-is. The longer version is below.

1. Agreement

These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern your use of L'chaim (the "app"), provided by Zachary Rivkin ("we", "us", "our"). By installing or using the app, you agree to these Terms. If you do not agree, please do not use the app.

2. The app

L'chaim is a daily Jewish learning app providing curated Torah and Talmud readings, commentary, questions, and humor. It is intended for personal study and reflection. It is not a substitute for a teacher, a beit midrash, a rabbi, or a community — nor does it claim to be.

3. License

We grant you a personal, limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable license to install and use the app on Apple devices you own or control, in accordance with the Apple App Store Terms of Service.

The license does not grant you the right to copy, redistribute, scrape, mirror, sublicense, or commercially exploit the app's content. Quoting a verse to a friend is fine. Republishing the entire archive is not.

4. Source texts and translations

Hebrew biblical and Talmudic texts are part of the public domain of Jewish tradition. English translations and explanatory commentary in the app are either original to L'chaim, drawn from public-domain sources, or used by permission. Where we link out to Sefaria for the full text, you are visiting their site under their terms; we do not host or relicense Sefaria's text.

We make a good-faith effort to be accurate. We are not infallible. If you find an error of translation, citation, or attribution, please write us at support@lchaimstudio.com and we will correct it.

5. Religious content

L'chaim presents content rooted in the Jewish tradition — including Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, Reconstructionist, and Hasidic voices, classical and modern. We do not endorse any single denomination. The app is meant to inform and provoke, not to issue halachic rulings. Decisions of religious practice should be made in consultation with a competent rabbi.

6. User contributions

The app may allow you to vote on poll questions. Your votes are anonymous and are used to compute aggregate tallies. You agree not to abuse this feature (for example, by attempting to cast votes from automated scripts). We reserve the right to remove or recompute results we believe were submitted in bad faith.

7. Acceptable use

You agree not to:

Reverse-engineer, decompile, or attempt to extract the app's source code beyond what is permitted by law.
Interfere with the operation of the app or our servers, including by overwhelming them with requests.
Use the app to harass, defame, or harm any individual or group.
Misrepresent the app or its content as endorsed by us in contexts where we have not done so.

8. Privacy

Your privacy matters. Please read our Privacy Policy, which describes what information the app collects (very little) and how we handle it.

9. Updates and availability

We deliver bug fixes, content updates, and improvements over the air via Expo Updates. We may also issue full app updates through the App Store. We do not guarantee that the app will always be available, error-free, or uninterrupted.

10. In-app purchases

If we offer paid features in the future, those purchases will be processed through Apple's In-App Purchase system and governed by Apple's standard terms in addition to these Terms. Any subscription will auto-renew unless you cancel it through your Apple ID settings; we do not handle billing directly.

11. Disclaimer

THE APP IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, NON-INFRINGEMENT, OR DOCTRINAL ACCURACY. YOUR USE OF THE APP IS AT YOUR OWN RISK.

12. Limitation of liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, IN NO EVENT WILL WE BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, OR ANY LOSS OF PROFITS OR REVENUES, ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH YOUR USE OF THE APP. OUR TOTAL LIABILITY FOR ANY CLAIM ARISING OUT OF THESE TERMS WILL NOT EXCEED THE GREATER OF (A) THE AMOUNT YOU PAID US FOR THE APP IN THE TWELVE MONTHS PRECEDING THE CLAIM, OR (B) FIFTY US DOLLARS.

13. Indemnification

You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold us harmless from any claim, demand, or damages arising out of your breach of these Terms or your misuse of the app.

14. Apple-specific terms

You acknowledge that these Terms are between you and us, not Apple, and that Apple is not responsible for the app or its content. Apple has no obligation to provide maintenance or support for the app. In the event of any failure of the app to conform to any applicable warranty, you may notify Apple, and Apple will refund the purchase price (if any) for the app to you. To the maximum extent permitted by law, Apple has no other warranty obligation. Apple is a third-party beneficiary of these Terms and may enforce them against you.

15. Termination

You can terminate these Terms at any time by deleting the app. We may suspend or terminate your access to the app or our backend services if we reasonably believe you have breached these Terms. Sections 4, 5, 11, 12, 13, 14, and 16 survive termination.

16. Governing law

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Texas, USA, without regard to conflict-of-law principles. Disputes will be resolved in the state or federal courts located in Travis County, Texas, except where prohibited by your local law.

17. Changes

We may update these Terms from time to time. If we make material changes, we will update the "last updated" date above and, where appropriate, surface a notice in the app. Continuing to use L'chaim after a change means you accept the new Terms.

18. Contact

Questions about these Terms? Email support@lchaimstudio.com.