About Bayit

Bayit is an iOS app for English-speaking Jews who want a small, daily relationship with Torah. The parsha, a verse, a teaching, a private place to ask the question you've never quite known how to ask. Five quiet minutes a day. Built so the practice is small enough to keep.

Why we built it

Most apps that try to make Judaism approachable do one of two things wrong. They paraphrase the source (you never quite know who's talking - the Torah, or the app), or they assume a fluency the user doesn't have (Hebrew thrown at you with no ladder up). Bayit is the answer to both.

We quote rather than paraphrase. When Bayit talks about a verse, you see the verse. When Bayit cites Rashi or the Rambam or Pirkei Avos, you see exactly which source and where. The reader should always be able to look it up themselves.

And nothing assumes prior knowledge. The Hebrew sits alongside the English. Concepts are introduced gently, not assumed. You can come from any background - never-engaged, lapsed, observant, just curious - and find a way in.

Editorial principles

• Source-quoted, not paraphrased. Every Torah, halacha, mussar, or mefarshim reference cites a specific pasuk, mishna, or work.
• Modern Orthodox-aligned, but inclusive. We use vocabulary the way English-speaking diaspora Jews actually use it (Shabbos, Bereishis, Tanakh) - but the content is for anyone, observant or not.
• We are not a posek. For halachic questions of practical consequence, ask a competent Rav. We say this clearly in every chat, and we mean it.
• Privacy first. Conversations are private to you. We do not train AI models on user data. See our Privacy Policy for the full picture.

Who's behind it

Bayit is built by Asaf Niv, an independent developer in Israel. Building Bayit started from a personal frustration: wanting a daily Jewish practice that fit a life already full of other things. The version we wished existed didn't, so we built it.

Editorial decisions, source vetting, and the voice of the app are personal work, not outsourced. If something feels off in what Bayit says, that's on us - and we want to hear about it.

Sources we draw on

Bayit's Tanakh, Mishnah, Talmud, and commentary text is sourced from Sefaria, the free, open-source Jewish library. Calendar data (candle lighting, parsha schedule, Hebrew dates) comes from Hebcal. We're grateful for both.

Contact

Questions, corrections, or a piece of feedback: hello@bayitapp.com. Real person reads every message.

Press, partnerships, or sourcing-related inquiries: same address.