28 Elul 5785/September 21, 2025

Rabbi Daniel Fellman

One of my favorite Jewish words can be found in Talmud. Teku, a legal term, teaches much not just in terms of Jewish law, but even more, in Jewish life.

Talmud overflows with disagreement. One side argues their case, the other responds and on it goes. Most of the time the issue is resolved, noting that the Halacha, Jewish law, follows the views of this or that rabbi.

But ever so rarely, no one wins. Instead, the rabbis of the Talmud declare “Teku.” Neither side is declared winner or loser. The issue lives on as a draw.

What a refreshing response to our world! Imagine what it might be like to see things in ‘both and’ form instead of ‘either or.’ Imagine what it might feel like to recognize multiple truths at the same time, rather than accepting one and rejecting others!

Teku teaches a different lesson. Instead of seeing life as an endless competition, Teku calls us to see this and that are both the words of the living God—Eilu v’Eilu Divrei Elohim Chayim.

On the High Holy Days, we are called to account for the year just ended and dream of the one just beginning. We can look at the whole thing as wins and losses if we choose.

Or we can embrace this one word from our tradition and see that each of us contains multiple truths, each of us discovers continuously, and on some level, each of us remains filled with contradictions. 

And all of it is holy.