• RESEARCH
  • STUDY
  • WRITING
  • HUMAN

How to retrieve sacred text citations with your AI

Connect to the Sefaria library once. After that, your AI can pull exact verses and translations for any text you name.

Ask AI about this page

Short answer

How do I get specific Hebrew or English verses using my AI?

Your AI uses the Sefaria library to fetch precise text segments based on your requests. You get the original Hebrew and the English translation for any specific passage you ask for. This allows you to verify sources or pull quotes instantly.

The outcomes

What you get from these citations

The AI handles the heavy lifting of searching the library and pulling the text.

RESEARCH

Verify specific verses

The AI pulls the exact text from Sefaria to confirm a passage. You get the Hebrew and English side-by-side for accuracy.

STUDY

Build custom guides

Ask your AI to gather a collection of verses on a single theme. It pulls the text directly from the library into your chat.

WRITING

Pull direct quotes

Instead of manual searching, tell your AI which book and chapter you need. It retrieves the specific lines for your work.

HUMAN

Interpret the meaning

The AI provides the raw text and translation. You remain responsible for the theological or academic interpretation of those verses.

The workflow

What your AI does when you ask for a verse.

The AI acts as a bridge between your chat and the Sefaria database.

  1. Locate the text

    Your AI identifies the correct book, chapter, and verse within the Sefaria library structure.

    get_sacred_text

  2. Fetch Hebrew and English

    The tool pulls both the original Hebrew characters and the corresponding English translation.

    get_sacred_text

  3. Format the output

    The AI organizes the retrieved text so it is readable and ready for your research or notes.

    get_sacred_text

  4. Verify the source

    The AI confirms the citation matches the specific library entry requested.

    get_sacred_text

Try it

Copy these to start.

Use these prompts to trigger the Sefaria tool immediately.

Starting points

Swap out the book names and verse numbers for the specific texts you are studying.

Sefaria Connector

You're all set. Choose your MCP client and follow the setup instructions.

Connector linkhttps://edge.vinkius.com/vk_preview_UnpD64L5dOJ360nBbLWRPBZ8bxPZBwieNkiO5gra/mcp

Claude Desktop

Follow the steps below to connect in seconds.

  1. 1In Claude Desktop, open Settings → Connectors.
  2. 2Click “Add custom connector” and paste the connector link above as the remote MCP server URL.
  3. 3Click Add and start a new chat — Sefaria capabilities are ready to use.
Configuration · claude_desktop_config.jsonCopy
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "sefaria-torah-texts-api-mcp": {
      "url": "https://edge.vinkius.com/vk_preview_UnpD64L5dOJ360nBbLWRPBZ8bxPZBwieNkiO5gra/mcp"
    }
  }
}
Copy into chat04

  • Get the Hebrew and English text for Genesis 1:1 from Sefaria.

  • Find the verses in Psalms 23 and show me the English translation.

  • Pull the text for Exodus 20:1-17 so I can verify the commandments.

  • Retrieve the specific verses from Bereshit 1:1 to 1:5.

  • Claude
  • ChatGPT
  • Cursor
  • VS Code
  • Windsurf
  • Claude Code
  • JetBrains
  • Cline

Start here

Connect Sefaria Torah Texts API once, then ask.

Click the link to connect the MCP to your client. Your credentials stay encrypted and the connection is ready to use immediately.

Connect Sefaria Torah Texts API to your AI

FAQ

How this task behaves

  • 01

    Can the AI write new commentaries on these verses?

    The tool only retrieves existing text from the Sefaria library. While your AI can discuss the text, the tool itself does not generate new religious content.

  • 02

    Can I use this to edit the original Sefaria database?

    No. The tool is read-only. It can pull text from the library, but it cannot change or delete any entries in Sefaria.

  • 03

    Does it provide the Hebrew text?

    Yes, the tool retrieves both the Hebrew and the English translation.

  • 04

    Can the AI search for themes instead of specific verses?

    The tool is designed to fetch specific citations. You should provide a book, chapter, or verse for the most reliable results.

  • 05

    Will the AI automatically cite its sources?

    The AI uses the data provided by the tool, which includes the specific location in the text, to ensure your citations are accurate.

  • More questions about Sefaria Torah Texts API? The Connector page answers them. See everything the Sefaria Torah Texts API Connector can do

Connect Sefaria to Claude, Cursor, ChatGPT & more