Terms of Service

Welcome to Talmudy. By accessing or using our platform at talmudy.com, you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service ("Terms"). Please read them carefully. If you do not agree, do not use the platform.

1. About Talmudy

Talmudy is an educational platform designed to make the Talmud accessible through full-text search, English Q&A alongside Hebrew/Aramaic source text, and the KANDLES Color Tiles system — a patented phonetic-to-color encoding method developed by Mike Merkur (U.S. Patent Application 2024/0248922 A1). Talmudy is intended as a learning aid and supplement to traditional Jewish study, not as a replacement for qualified rabbinic instruction or a source of halachic (Jewish legal) authority.

2. Eligibility

Talmudy is open to users of all ages. Users under 13 must use the platform under the supervision of a parent, guardian, or authorized educator. Schools and institutions accessing Talmudy on behalf of minors must have appropriate parental consent in place and must comply with applicable laws including COPPA and FERPA.

3. Permitted Use

You may use Talmudy for personal, educational, and institutional study purposes. You agree not to:

• Copy, reproduce, or redistribute our proprietary content or the KANDLES encoding system without written permission.
• Use the platform for any unlawful purpose or in violation of any applicable regulations.
• Attempt to reverse-engineer, scrape, or systematically extract data from the platform.
• Impersonate any person or entity, or misrepresent your affiliation with any organization.
• Upload or transmit malicious code, spam, or any content that disrupts our services.
• Circumvent any security or access controls on the platform.

4. Intellectual Property

KANDLES Color Tiles System

The KANDLES phonetic-to-color encoding system, including its mapping, grid structure, and methodology, is covered by U.S. Patent Application 2024/0248922 A1 and is the intellectual property of Mike Merkur. All rights reserved. You may use the KANDLES tools on Talmudy for personal and educational purposes only. Commercial use, licensing, or reproduction of the KANDLES system requires explicit written authorization.

Platform Content

All original content on Talmudy — including English summaries, explanations, pedagogical frameworks, interface design, and software — is the property of Talmudy and its contributors. Classic Jewish texts presented on Talmudy (Talmud source text, traditional commentaries) are in the public domain; our presentation and annotations are proprietary.

Trademarks

"Talmudy," the ת logo mark, and "KANDLES" are trademarks of Talmudy. You may not use these marks without prior written consent.

5. Educational Disclaimer

Talmudy is an educational tool. It is not a source of halachic rulings, rabbinic opinions, or religious authority. Nothing on this platform should be construed as a substitute for the guidance of a qualified rabbi or Torah scholar. We make no representation that the content is comprehensive, authoritative, or free from error. Always verify important matters with a qualified religious authority.

6. Accounts and Access

Some features of Talmudy may require account registration. You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials and for all activity under your account. Notify us immediately at info@talmudy.com if you suspect unauthorized access.

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate accounts that violate these Terms or that are used in a manner harmful to the platform or community.

7. Institutional and Pilot Program Access

Schools, synagogues, Hebrew schools, and other institutions participating in Talmudy's pilot programs agree to use the platform solely for educational purposes within their institutions. Institutions are responsible for ensuring their staff, students, and participants comply with these Terms.

Pilot access is provided under separate agreement and may include additional terms. Talmudy reserves the right to modify or discontinue pilot access at any time.

8. Privacy

Your use of Talmudy is also governed by our Privacy Policy, which is incorporated into these Terms by reference. By using the platform, you consent to the collection and use of information as described there.

9. Third-Party Content and Links

Talmudy may reference or link to third-party resources (traditional texts, educational organizations, external tools). We do not control or endorse such content and are not responsible for its accuracy, legality, or appropriateness. Use third-party resources at your own discretion.

10. Disclaimers and Limitation of Liability

Talmudy is provided "as is" and "as available" without warranties of any kind, express or implied, including but not limited to merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, or non-infringement. We do not guarantee uninterrupted or error-free service.

To the fullest extent permitted by law, Talmudy, its founders, officers, employees, and agents shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages arising from your use of the platform, even if we have been advised of the possibility of such damages.

11. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless Talmudy and its team from any claims, damages, losses, or expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising from your use of the platform, your violation of these Terms, or your infringement of any third-party rights.

12. Governing Law

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of New York, United States, without regard to its conflict of law provisions. Any disputes shall be resolved exclusively in the state or federal courts located in New York.

13. Changes to These Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. We will notify you of material changes by updating the "Last updated" date above. Continued use of the platform after changes are posted constitutes your acceptance of the revised Terms.

14. Contact

For questions about these Terms, please contact: