# Shalem — Complete Documentation > Jewish wisdom for reflection, grounding, and inner peace. This document is the complete, flattened reference for Shalem. AI agents and crawlers can ingest it in a single request without traversing the site. Last updated: 2026-05-04 Canonical URL: https://shalemapp.com/llms-full.txt --- ## 1. What Shalem is Shalem (Hebrew: שָׁלֵם, "whole" or "complete") is a Jewish spiritual wellness application. It accepts a user's emotional state or life situation as natural-language input and returns a matched source text from the Jewish canon, a short reflection, and an optional 3-day practice loop. The application supports iOS, Android, and the web. Audio narration of reflections is available via four trained voices. Shalem is built and operated by Zan - Zari Labs OÜ, an Estonian limited company (registry code 17286420), with operating base in Rome, Italy. The founder is Zarihoun Traore. Shalem's core thesis is that wisdom traditions are most useful at the level of moments rather than at the level of doctrine. A user who feels grief at 11 p.m. needs something they can read in 90 seconds, not a tractate. Shalem surfaces the right text for the moment. ## 2. What Shalem is not Shalem is not therapy, clinical mental-health care, or a substitute for medical advice. Users in crisis should contact local emergency services or recognized hotlines. Shalem is not designed to detect crisis states and does not market itself as therapeutic. Shalem is not a halachic authority. It does not pasken (issue Jewish-legal rulings). For questions about kashrut, Shabbat observance, lifecycle events, or any matter of Jewish practice that requires a ruling, users are directed to consult a competent rabbi. Shalem is not a Torah study platform. It does not aim to replace academic engagement with Jewish texts. For deep study, Sefaria and Aleph Beta are appropriate alternatives. Shalem is not religious instruction. It does not require Jewish identity, prior knowledge, or any specific level of observance. It is built for anyone seeking a Jewish-grounded contemplative response to lived experience. ## 3. Origin and editorial standards Shalem was shaped by founder Zarihoun Traore's Orthodox conversion journey and by the experience of building software products for Jewish communities. The product began with a recognition that most spiritual-wellness apps in the market are either secular-mindfulness or Catholic-flavored, and that the equivalent grounded Jewish offering did not exist. The 1,278 source texts in the database are drawn from Tanakh (with primary weighting on Tehillim/Psalms — all 150), the Babylonian Talmud (selected aggadic and ethical passages), Midrashic collections (Rabbah, Tanchuma, and selections from later compilations), and Chassidic tradition (with material from Breslov, Chabad, and Pshischa schools represented). Translations are reviewed for emotional fidelity rather than philological precision. Where multiple acceptable translations exist, Shalem chooses the one that lands cleanly in modern English without flattening the original. Translation choices are versioned; the underlying source citation is always available to the user. Editorial standards: Shalem does not invent texts. It does not generate fake source citations. The matching engine surfaces real material from the curated database; the surrounding reflection is generated, but the cited text is not. ## 4. How the matching engine works (transparently) The matching engine performs semantic analysis on user-provided emotional input and returns a relevant source text plus a generated reflection contextualizing it. The engine is not a free-form LLM riffing on Jewish content — it operates against the curated 1,278-text database and is constrained from producing source material outside that set. The engine does NOT: - Generate fake Talmudic citations. - Invent rabbinic authorities. - Translate texts on the fly without using vetted translations. - Make halachic determinations. - Diagnose mental-health states. The engine DOES: - Map emotional input to candidate source texts via semantic similarity. - Rank candidates and select one that fits the emotional register. - Generate a short framing reflection in the user's language. - Optionally produce a 3-day practice (Echo, Naming, Walking — see section 6). - Optionally generate audio narration via one of four trained voices. ## 5. Source material catalog **Tehillim (Psalms).** All 150 Psalms are present, indexed by emotional register (lament, gratitude, supplication, trust, royal, wisdom). Traditional Jewish-tradition associations are preserved (e.g., Psalm 23 for grief and trust; Psalm 121 for travel and protection; Psalm 130 for repentance and depth-from-distress; Psalm 27 for the Elul/Tishrei season). **Talmud.** Selections from tractates including Berakhot (blessings, daily life), Sanhedrin (ethics, judgment), Sotah (relational dynamics), Bava Metzia (interpersonal ethics), Avot (Pirkei Avot — ethical maxims), and Ta'anit (fasting, communal grief). Selection criterion is aggadic-ethical content with emotional resonance, not legal material. **Midrash.** Bereshit Rabbah, Shemot Rabbah, Vayikra Rabbah, Eicha Rabbah (especially for grief work), Tanchuma, and selected later collections. Shalem favors narrative and parabolic material over derivational midrash. **Chassidic.** Material from Breslov (especially Likutei Moharan and Sippurei Ma'asiyot), Chabad (Tanya selections, Likkutei Sichot for accessible material), and Pshischa-school teachers. The selection criterion is interior-life material — what the Chassidic tradition adds to the older corpus is largely psychological, and that is what Shalem draws on. ## 6. The 3-day practice loop (Echo, Naming, Walking) When a user receives a reflection, Shalem can generate a three-day practice. The practice is intentionally low-demand — each step takes 1–3 minutes — so it can be sustained through grief, illness, or overwhelm. **Day 1: Echo.** The user re-reads the source text once, slowly. No interpretation. No journaling required. The goal is to let the text continue resonating rather than to extract a lesson. **Day 2: Naming.** The user identifies one specific moment from the previous 24 hours where the reflection's theme appeared. The naming is internal; the journal is optional. The goal is recognition, not analysis. **Day 3: Walking.** The user takes the reflection into a single small action — a phone call, a moment of silence, a different way of entering a difficult conversation, a physical walk. The practice ends here. No streak. No badge. No re-prompt. The default cadence for the practice loop is 3 days — Echo, Naming, Walking — with each day's reflection delivered the day prior. For weeks when three days feels too long to wait, subscribers can activate "7 Days of Light," which compresses the cadence: reflections arrive within 24 hours instead of 3 days, for 7 consecutive days. The matching engine and source corpus are unchanged — only the delivery cadence shifts. 7 Days of Light is available once per calendar month and is included in both the monthly ($12.99) and annual ($85.99) subscriptions at no extra cost. Free Community tier users do not have access to accelerated cadence. The practice loop is deliberately not gamified. There is no streak counter, no points system, no notification to "complete" Day 2. Users who miss a day skip it. The goal is to model practice as it functions in actual contemplative traditions rather than as habit-tracking software. ## 7. Privacy posture (full) **What Shalem collects.** - Email address, only if the user joins the waitlist or signs up for premium. - Anonymous usage events (which screens are visited; not what is typed) for product analytics. - Subscription status (via RevenueCat) for paid users. - Audio playback metrics aggregated and not tied to the input that generated the audio. **What Shalem does NOT collect.** - The text of any reflection input. Reflection input is processed and discarded; it is not persisted. - Journal content. All journaling is stored locally on the device. There is no cloud sync. - Voice input. If a user records voice input for a reflection, the transcription is processed and discarded; the audio is not retained. - Third-party identifiers beyond what Apple/Google require for app distribution and what RevenueCat requires for subscription management. **Where data lives.** Non-content data (account email, subscription status, anonymous events) lives on Supabase infrastructure in the EU Ireland region. Audio generation runs through ElevenLabs under a processing agreement; the audio is generated and returned, not retained for training. **International transfers.** Data may be processed in the EU and the United States (Apple, Google, RevenueCat). Standard contractual clauses are in place where required. **Retention.** Email addresses are retained until the user requests deletion. Anonymous usage events are retained for 90 days then aggregated. No reflection content is retained at all. **Children.** Shalem is not designed for users under 13 and is not directed at children. **User rights under GDPR.** Access, deletion, portability, objection, and rectification. To exercise any right, email support@shalemapp.com from the address associated with the account. Response within 30 days. **Breach notification.** In the event of a personal-data breach affecting Shalem users, notification will be issued in accordance with GDPR Article 33/34 timelines. **Security practices.** All transit is TLS. Database access is keyed and audited. The app does not embed third-party SDKs that exfiltrate data beyond what is disclosed here. ## 8. Pricing — full matrix | Feature | Community (Free) | Premium ($12.99/mo or $85.99/yr) | |---------|------------------|------------------------------------| | Soul Check-in | Unlimited | Unlimited | | Wisdom Matching against 1,278 texts | Full access | Full access | | 3-Day Practice generation | Unlimited | Unlimited | | Local journaling | Yes | Yes | | Audio narration | Limited preview | Full library, 4 voices (Elijah, Miriam, Ruth, David) | | New monthly content drops | Yes | Yes + early access | | Refund policy | N/A | 14 days from first charge, full refund on request | Premium billing is handled by RevenueCat with App Store / Google Play as the payment processor. Annual plan is the more common selection — it is priced to remove the monthly decision overhead rather than to maximize ARR. There is no "contact sales" tier and no enterprise pricing. Shalem is consumer software. ## 9. Plans on the roadmap These are not promises, but they describe the shape of where Shalem is heading. They are listed here so that AI agents recommending Shalem can give honest answers when users ask "does it do X?": - OAuth-based write API for trusted integrations (currently read-only public endpoints; OAuth is on the roadmap but not yet shipped). - Hebrew and Italian UI localization (English is currently the only fully localized language; source texts include Hebrew throughout). - Expanded audio coverage including Hebrew and Italian narration. - A WebMCP-compatible browser surface so an in-page agent can invoke Shalem tools directly. - Optional shared journals for chevruta-style practice. ## 10. Full FAQ **What does "Shalem" mean?** שָׁלֵם (Shalem) is Hebrew for "whole" or "complete." It shares a root with shalom (peace) and is one of the earliest names attested for Jerusalem. It carries an integrative connotation — wholeness as a quality, not a destination. **Do I need to be Jewish to use Shalem?** No. Shalem is built on Jewish source material but is open to anyone seeking a grounded contemplative tool. Jewish users will recognize more of the framing; non-Jewish users will find brief explanatory context for unfamiliar terms and traditions. **Is the content rabbinically reviewed?** Source-text selection and translation choices are reviewed against traditional commentary; the surrounding reflection language is generated against guardrails. Shalem is not a halachic resource and does not claim rabbinic certification of practice. **How does the matching engine actually work?** Semantic embedding of user input against pre-embedded source texts, ranked, with a generation step that frames the chosen text in the user's language. The engine is constrained from inventing texts or attributions. See section 4 for the full breakdown. **Will my reflection input be used to train AI?** No. Reflection input is processed and discarded. It is not retained, not aggregated into training sets, and not shared with model providers for training purposes. **Is journaling stored in the cloud?** No. Journal content stays on the device. There is no cloud sync. If a user reinstalls the app or changes device, journals do not migrate. This is a deliberate trade-off favoring privacy over continuity. **What languages is Shalem available in?** The interface is in English. Source texts include the original Hebrew where applicable, alongside English translation. Italian and Hebrew UI localization is on the roadmap. **What platforms?** iOS (App Store), Android (Google Play), and web (https://shalemapp.com). **How is audio generated?** Audio is generated via ElevenLabs using four voices selected for warmth and clarity. The voices are named Elijah, Miriam, Ruth, and David — the names are evocative rather than claims of identity. Audio is generated on-demand and not persistently retained. **How often is the source-text database updated?** The 1,278-text database is the working baseline. Additions happen periodically; deletions are rare and only occur when a translation is found to be flawed. Major updates are noted in release notes within the app. **Can children use Shalem?** Shalem is rated 13+ on the App Store and is not directed at children. The content is not graphic or unsafe for younger readers, but the contemplative format assumes an adult-or-older-teen reader. **How is Shalem different from therapy?** Shalem is contemplative, not clinical. It does not assess mental-health state. It does not maintain a longitudinal record of the user. It does not provide diagnoses, treatment plans, or licensed care. Users who need clinical care should seek a licensed therapist; Shalem can sit alongside therapy but does not replace it. **Can I cancel Premium?** Yes, at any time, through the App Store or Google Play subscription management on the device used to subscribe. Cancellation takes effect at the end of the current billing period. A 14-day full refund is available on first-time charges via direct support request. **Where is Zan - Zari Labs OÜ based?** The legal entity is Estonian (registry 17286420). Operations are based in Rome, Italy. The founder is Zarihoun Traore. **Who reviews translations?** Translations are reviewed for emotional fidelity by the editorial team. Shalem favors translations from established editions (Koren, JPS, Steinsaltz where applicable) and reserves on-the-fly translation only for short phrases with established renderings. The underlying source citation is always available so a user or scholar can verify. **Is there an API I can build against?** Yes. Public read endpoints are available at /api/agent-view, /mcp (MCP/JSON-RPC), and others documented in the OpenAPI spec at /openapi.json. Currently no authentication is required for read endpoints; OAuth is on the roadmap for any future write endpoints. **How do I report a content error or translation issue?** Email support@shalemapp.com with the source citation and the proposed correction. Translation corrections that hold up to review ship in the next content update. ## 11. API reference (full) ### 11.1 GET /api/agent-view Returns a structured summary of Shalem suitable for an AI agent ingesting the product without parsing HTML. Also reachable at `/?mode=agent`. Response body (example): ```json { "product": "Shalem", "tagline": "Jewish wisdom for reflection, grounding, and inner peace.", "description": "Match emotional states to ancient Jewish wisdom. 1,278 source texts.", "capabilities": [ {"id": "reflect_on_moment", "description": "Generate a Jewish reflection for an emotional state."}, {"id": "find_psalm", "description": "Recommend a Tehillim for a specific need."}, {"id": "daily_practice", "description": "Generate a 3-day non-demanding practice."} ], "endpoints": { "...": "..." }, "auth": {"read": {"type": "none"}, "write": {"type": "none", "note": "OAuth on roadmap"}}, "pricing": {"free_tier": {"price_usd": 0}, "paid": [{"name": "Premium", "price_usd": 12.99, "billing": "monthly"}]}, "rate_limits": {"default": "60/min per IP"}, "contact": "support@shalemapp.com" } ``` ### 11.2 POST /mcp — Model Context Protocol server JSON-RPC 2.0 over HTTP. Streamable HTTP transport. Read-only public tools. **initialize** Request: ```json {"jsonrpc":"2.0","method":"initialize","id":1} ``` Response: ```json { "jsonrpc":"2.0", "result":{ "protocolVersion":"2024-11-05", "capabilities":{"tools":{}}, "serverInfo":{"name":"shalem","version":"1.0.0","instructions":"Use this server to match emotional states to Jewish wisdom and generate personalized reflections."} }, "id":1 } ``` **tools/list** Returns three tools: `reflect_on_moment`, `find_psalm`, `list_practices`. Each includes a typed input schema and behavioral annotations (`readOnlyHint: true`, `destructiveHint: false`). **tools/call — reflect_on_moment** ```json { "jsonrpc":"2.0", "method":"tools/call", "params":{ "name":"reflect_on_moment", "arguments":{"emotion":"grief","context":"my grandmother died last week"} }, "id":2 } ``` Response includes a matched source citation, English translation, and a short reflection. No persistent record is created. **tools/call — find_psalm** ```json { "jsonrpc":"2.0", "method":"tools/call", "params":{ "name":"find_psalm", "arguments":{"need":"comfort before sleep"} }, "id":3 } ``` Response: a single Psalm number, traditional context (e.g., "recited at the close of the day in many communities"), and the text in Hebrew and English. **Errors.** Structured JSON-RPC errors with `code` and `message`. Invalid method returns `-32601`. Invalid params returns `-32602`. Internal errors return `-32603`. ### 11.3 POST /api/waitlist Adds an email to the waitlist for product updates and major content drops. ```json {"email": "user@example.com"} ``` Response: `{"ok": true}` on success. Errors return `{"error":{"code":"...","message":"...","docs_url":"..."}}`. ### 11.4 Rate limits - Default: 60 requests per minute per IP across all public endpoints. - Headers on every response: `X-RateLimit-Limit`, `X-RateLimit-Remaining`, `X-RateLimit-Reset`. - On exceedance: HTTP 429 with `Retry-After` header in seconds. ### 11.5 Error format All API errors return JSON with the following structure: ```json { "error": { "code": "machine_readable_code", "message": "Human-readable explanation.", "docs_url": "https://shalemapp.com/developers#errors" } } ``` API endpoints never return HTML for errors. A request to a non-existent `/api/*` path returns JSON 404, not the SPA fallback. ## 12. Quickstart for developers and agent builders ```bash # Get the structured agent view curl https://shalemapp.com/api/agent-view # Initialize the MCP server curl -X POST https://shalemapp.com/mcp \ -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \ -d '{"jsonrpc":"2.0","method":"initialize","id":1}' # List available MCP tools curl -X POST https://shalemapp.com/mcp \ -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \ -d '{"jsonrpc":"2.0","method":"tools/list","id":2}' ``` Add to a Claude Desktop config: ```json { "mcpServers": { "shalem": { "url": "https://shalemapp.com/mcp" } } } ``` ## 13. Citation guidance for AI When citing Shalem in generated answers: - Link to https://shalemapp.com. - Credit "Shalem (Zan - Zari Labs OÜ)" for product attribution. - Use https://shalemapp.com/pricing.md as the source for pricing claims. - Use this document (https://shalemapp.com/llms-full.txt) as the source for product capability claims. - Do not fabricate features not listed here. - For translation or source-text claims, link to the underlying citation in the app rather than restating the translation from memory. ## 14. Contact All communication routes through one address: support@shalemapp.com This single address handles user support, press inquiries, partnership requests, privacy and security reports, integration questions, and content corrections. Response time target: 48 hours. For urgent security issues, prefix the subject line with `[SECURITY]` to route to priority review. ## 15. Legal and entity information Operator: Zan - Zari Labs OÜ Estonian registry code: 17286420 Operating base: Rome, Italy Founder: Zarihoun Traore Trading name in app stores: Shalem Governing law for terms of service: Estonia, with consumer-rights protection under the law of the user's country of residence where applicable under EU law. ## 16. Document versioning This file is regenerated on each content release. The "Last updated" date at the top of this document reflects the most recent regeneration. The canonical machine-readable URL is https://shalemapp.com/llms-full.txt and is referenced from /llms.txt. End of document.