diff --git a/sanhedrin/src/judge.erl b/sanhedrin/src/judge.erl
index 3d071c88..83609612 100644
--- a/sanhedrin/src/judge.erl
+++ b/sanhedrin/src/judge.erl
@@ -157,7 +157,16 @@ vote_from_consultation(Step, {ok, Map}, RootCount) ->
     Status = maps:get(status, Map, <<"teiku">>),
     Text = maps:get(text, Map, <<>>),
     Verses = maps:get(verses, Map, []),
+    Grounding = maps:get(grounding, Map, []),
     case Status of
+        <<"resolved">> when Verses =:= [], Grounding =:= [] ->
+            %% The engine says "resolved" over an empty trace — no verse,
+            %% no mitzvah. That is a reading that stands on nothing, and
+            %% a vote to accept it would be the calf (avodah_zarah.pl
+            %% Form 2: the uncoupled output). Abstain, and say why.
+            {<<"Teiku — the reading is coupled to no verse and no mitzvah">>,
+             reasoning(Step, <<"resolved on an empty trace; nothing to stand on">>, RootCount, Verses),
+             [], abstain};
         <<"resolved">> ->
             {Text,
              reasoning(Step, <<"resolved">>, RootCount, Verses),
diff --git a/sanhedrin/src/panel.erl b/sanhedrin/src/panel.erl
index b357e734..89282f6a 100644
--- a/sanhedrin/src/panel.erl
+++ b/sanhedrin/src/panel.erl
@@ -207,15 +207,21 @@ compute_majority_minority([]) ->
        torah_refs => [],
        vote_count => 0}};
 compute_majority_minority(Votes) ->
-    %% Count accepts vs rejects
     Accepts = [V || V <- Votes, V#vote.verdict == accept],
     Rejects = [V || V <- Votes, V#vote.verdict == reject],
     Abstains = [V || V <- Votes, V#vote.verdict == abstain],
+    NA = length(Accepts), NR = length(Rejects), NB = length(Abstains),
 
+    %% The majority is the verdict with the most votes — abstentions
+    %% count (tablet 55: live, one accept "won" against two
+    %% abstentions, and the reply showed majority 1, minority 2). An
+    %% abstaining plurality, or an accept/reject tie, is teiku
+    %% (determine_outcome reads the majority's verdict).
     {MajVotes, MinVotes} =
-        case length(Accepts) >= length(Rejects) of
-            true  -> {Accepts, Rejects ++ Abstains};
-            false -> {Rejects, Accepts ++ Abstains}
+        if
+            NA > NR, NA >= NB -> {Accepts, Rejects ++ Abstains};
+            NR > NA, NR >= NB -> {Rejects, Accepts ++ Abstains};
+            true              -> {Abstains, Accepts ++ Rejects}
         end,
 
     MajSample = case MajVotes of
diff --git a/sanhedrin/test/sanhedrin_SUITE.erl b/sanhedrin/test/sanhedrin_SUITE.erl
index f5bdf8a3..ab980a09 100644
--- a/sanhedrin/test/sanhedrin_SUITE.erl
+++ b/sanhedrin/test/sanhedrin_SUITE.erl
@@ -506,6 +506,37 @@ majority_verdict_reject_test() ->
     {Maj, _Min} = panel:compute_majority_minority(Votes),
     ?assertEqual(reject, maps:get(verdict, Maj)).
 
+%% Tablet 55: abstentions count. One accept against two abstentions is
+%% not an accepting majority — it is teiku.
+majority_abstaining_plurality_is_teiku_test() ->
+    Votes = [make_vote(accept), make_vote(abstain), make_vote(abstain)],
+    {Maj, Min} = panel:compute_majority_minority(Votes),
+    ?assertEqual(abstain, maps:get(verdict, Maj)),
+    ?assertEqual(2, maps:get(vote_count, Maj)),
+    ?assertEqual(1, maps:get(vote_count, Min)),
+    ?assertEqual(teiku, panel:determine_outcome(Maj, Min, passed)).
+
+majority_accept_reject_tie_is_teiku_test() ->
+    Votes = [make_vote(accept), make_vote(reject)],
+    {Maj, _Min} = panel:compute_majority_minority(Votes),
+    ?assertEqual(abstain, maps:get(verdict, Maj)),
+    ?assertEqual(0, maps:get(vote_count, Maj)).
+
+%% Tablet 55: "resolved" over an empty trace — no verse, no mitzvah —
+%% is nothing to stand on; the judge abstains rather than accept.
+judge_resolved_on_empty_trace_abstains_test() ->
+    {Pos, Reason, Refs, Verdict} =
+        judge:vote_from_consultation(interpret,
+            {ok, #{status => <<"resolved">>, text => <<"reading(0,0)">>, verses => [], grounding => []}}, 5),
+    ?assertEqual(abstain, Verdict),
+    ?assertEqual([], Refs),
+    ?assertMatch({_, _}, binary:match(Pos, <<"Teiku">>)),
+    ?assertMatch({_, _}, binary:match(Reason, <<"empty trace">>)),
+    %% a mitzvah without a verse is still ground
+    {_, _, _, V2} = judge:vote_from_consultation(interpret,
+        {ok, #{status => <<"resolved">>, text => <<"r">>, verses => [], grounding => [<<"mitzvah(5)">>]}}, 1),
+    ?assertEqual(accept, V2).
+
 %% ============================================================
 %% determine_outcome tests — accepted, rejected, teiku reachable
 %% ============================================================
diff --git a/vav_pipeline/lib/vav_pipeline/bereishit_cycle.ex b/vav_pipeline/lib/vav_pipeline/bereishit_cycle.ex
index 51ae2f1f..6cfcd2f1 100644
--- a/vav_pipeline/lib/vav_pipeline/bereishit_cycle.ex
+++ b/vav_pipeline/lib/vav_pipeline/bereishit_cycle.ex
@@ -970,6 +970,40 @@ defmodule VavPipeline.BereishitCycle do
 
   defp letters_to_hebrew(_), do: nil
 
+  # The inverse: Hebrew consonant → letter name, finals folded to their base.
+  @hebrew_to_name Map.new(@consonant_names, fn {name, heb} -> {heb, name} end)
+                  |> Map.merge(%{"ך" => "kaf", "ם" => "mem", "ן" => "nun", "ף" => "pe", "ץ" => "tsadi"})
+
+  @doc """
+  The root as the Talmudic Engine names it — letter names joined by `-`
+  (`json_bridge` `parse_root_name` → `bet_resh_aleph`, the form of its
+  verse facts). From the letter names the Shoresh Engine gives when it
+  has them, else from the Hebrew (the L1 fallback carries only that).
+  Tablet 55: the engine was being sent the Hebrew, which its facts never
+  match — 5 roots in, 0 verses out, and "resolved" over the emptiness.
+  `nil` when the root carries nothing nameable.
+  """
+  @spec engine_root_name(map()) :: String.t() | nil
+  def engine_root_name(root) when is_map(root) do
+    letters = Map.get(root, :shoresh_letters) || []
+
+    names =
+      if is_list(letters) and letters != [] do
+        Enum.map(letters, &String.downcase(to_string(&1)))
+      else
+        root
+        |> Map.get(:shoresh)
+        |> case do
+          s when is_binary(s) -> s |> String.graphemes() |> Enum.map(&Map.get(@hebrew_to_name, &1))
+          _ -> [nil]
+        end
+      end
+
+    if names != [] and Enum.all?(names, &is_binary/1), do: Enum.join(names, "-"), else: nil
+  end
+
+  def engine_root_name(_), do: nil
+
   # ============================================================
   # Private helpers
   # ============================================================
diff --git a/vav_pipeline/lib/vav_pipeline/bigdei_kodesh/router.ex b/vav_pipeline/lib/vav_pipeline/bigdei_kodesh/router.ex
index bb93f7ba..ee03f76d 100644
--- a/vav_pipeline/lib/vav_pipeline/bigdei_kodesh/router.ex
+++ b/vav_pipeline/lib/vav_pipeline/bigdei_kodesh/router.ex
@@ -1250,7 +1250,11 @@ defmodule VavPipeline.BigdeiKodesh.Router do
 
             {:ok,
              %{
-               roots: Enum.map(roots_full, & &1.shoresh),
+               # The engine's verse facts name roots by letter — bet_resh_aleph —
+               # and json_bridge reads "bet-resh-aleph". The cycle's root carries
+               # the letter names beside the Hebrew; the Hebrew never matches
+               # (live, 2026-10-19: 5 roots sent, 0 verses found, "resolved").
+               roots: roots_full |> Enum.map(&VavPipeline.BereishitCycle.engine_root_name/1) |> Enum.reject(&is_nil/1),
                roots_full: roots_full,
                torah_ref: {String.to_atom(scope.book), scope.chapter, scope.verse},
                read_from: Map.get(state, :roots_read_from)
diff --git a/vav_pipeline/test/bigdei_kodesh_test.exs b/vav_pipeline/test/bigdei_kodesh_test.exs
index 7a5441d0..723dea15 100644
--- a/vav_pipeline/test/bigdei_kodesh_test.exs
+++ b/vav_pipeline/test/bigdei_kodesh_test.exs
@@ -403,8 +403,10 @@ defmodule VavPipeline.BigdeiKodeshTest do
       body = Jason.decode!(conn.resp_body)
       assert body["deliberation"]["outcome"] == "teiku"
       assert body["deliberation"]["panel_size"] == 1
-      assert body["deliberation"]["majority"]["votes"] == 0
-      assert body["deliberation"]["minority"]["reasoning"] =~ "no consultation"
+      # the one judge abstained: an abstaining majority of one, no dissent
+      assert body["deliberation"]["majority"]["votes"] == 1
+      assert body["deliberation"]["majority"]["reasoning"] =~ "no consultation"
+      assert body["deliberation"]["minority"]["votes"] == 0
     end
 
     # Tablet 55: with a consultation behind the judges, the dialectic
diff --git a/vav_pipeline/test/tablet55_engine_root_name_test.exs b/vav_pipeline/test/tablet55_engine_root_name_test.exs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c245b289
--- /dev/null
+++ b/vav_pipeline/test/tablet55_engine_root_name_test.exs
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+defmodule VavPipeline.Tablet55EngineRootNameTest do
+  @moduledoc """
+  Tablet 55: the Talmudic Engine names roots by letter (bet_resh_aleph,
+  read from "bet-resh-aleph"). The pipeline was sending it the Hebrew,
+  which its verse facts never match — roots in, no verses out, and a
+  "resolved" reading over the emptiness.
+  """
+  use ExUnit.Case, async: true
+
+  alias VavPipeline.BereishitCycle
+
+  test "from the Shoresh Engine's letter names" do
+    assert BereishitCycle.engine_root_name(%{shoresh: "ברא", shoresh_letters: ["bet", "resh", "aleph"]}) ==
+             "bet-resh-aleph"
+  end
+
+  test "from the Hebrew alone (the L1 fallback), finals folded" do
+    assert BereishitCycle.engine_root_name(%{shoresh: "דבר", shoresh_letters: []}) == "dalet-bet-resh"
+    assert BereishitCycle.engine_root_name(%{shoresh: "מלך"}) == "mem-lamed-kaf"
+  end
+
+  test "nothing nameable → nil, never a Hebrew string the engine cannot read" do
+    assert BereishitCycle.engine_root_name(%{shoresh: nil}) == nil
+    assert BereishitCycle.engine_root_name(%{shoresh: "x1"}) == nil
+    assert BereishitCycle.engine_root_name(%{}) == nil
+  end
+end