Any practicing Jews here that can answer a question?

Question

In Christianity, we believe that Jesus fulfilled the law of Moses, ending some of them, like the animal sacrifices. If Jews don't believe that Jesus was the Messiah, do they still follow all of the Mosaic law? I never hear of anybody doing animal sacrifices, or stoning people for committing sins. What has become of all these old traditions?? Did something happen to change them or are they all still being followed?

Answer 1

In the year 70AD, the Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed by a Roman general (later Emperor) named Titus. The Jewish government was brought to an end, and the Sanhadrin, the official government of the Jews disbanded. Some of the surviving Pharisees traveled north into Babylon, where in 73AD they began to compile a document known as the Babylonian Tulmad. (Talmud means "traditions")

Because there was no longer a temple in which to offer the sacrifices, nor a council to try cases and pronounces sentences, it was impossible for the Jews to continue to practice many of the Old Testament Laws.

In the Tulmad, the Pharisees uses traditions (and some scriptures) to reshape the Jewish faith so that it could continue without its two most important parts, a country and a temple. The sacrifices were replaced by prayer and other traditions or acts of faith. Even the Passover Lamb is rarely slain by Jews. Rather a hard boiled egg is used.

It is the hope of many of the most Orthodox Jews that someday both the Temple and the Sanhadrin can be rebuilt.

Answer 2

Jews no longer give animal sacrifices because we no longer have a temple, simple as that. Prayer has become the substitute- in the set of morning prayers, there is a section that discusses various offerings, when they are applicable, why etc. In terms of the stoning, Jews believe that we can't choose if a person deserves to be killed or not (unless under super specific circumstances, like with murderers, etc). The only group of people who could do that were the Anshei Knesset Hagdola (Men of the great assembly) and also I believe the San Hedrin, another such group, who existed during the times of the temples and were chosen divinely. Basically, we don't practice many rituals because of the lack of our Temple, the Bet Hamikdash, and we believe that when the Messiah (who we do not believe is Jesus, nor do we believe he's come before) comes to redeem us, we will have our third, everlasting temple and these things will be reinstituted, as far as we know.

Answer 3

in regards to animal sacrifices, they can't be done anywhere except the temple, and as you probably know, there is no temple today.

as for stoning people:

"The official teachings of Judaism approve the death penalty in principle but the standard of proof required for application of death penalty is extremely stringent, and in practice, it has been abolished by various Talmudic decisions, making the situations in which a death sentence could be passed effectively impossible and hypothetical."

"While allowing for the death penalty in some hypothetical circumstances, scholars of Judaism are broadly opposed to the death penalty as practiced in the modern world. The Jewish understanding of Biblical law is not based on a literal reading of the Bible, bur rather through the lens of Judaism's oral law. These oral laws were first recorded around 200 CE in the Mishnah and later around 600 CE in the Babylonian Talmud. The laws make it clear that the death penalty was used only rarely. The Mishnah states:

A Sanhedrin that puts a man to death once in seven years is called destructive. Rabbi Eliezer ben Azariah says: a Sanhedrin that puts a man to death even once in seventy years. Rabbi Akiba and Rabbi Tarfon say: Had we been in the Sanhedrin none would ever have been put to death (Mishnah, Makkot 1:10)"

sorry for the lazy answer but i'm in class. hopefully somebody else will come along and actually take the time to write a real answer.

Answer 4

Animal sacrifices have been suspend due to lack of access to the temple mount. If full access could be granted sacrifices would start the next day.

As for stoning you need an ordained Sanhedrin and the legal system that goes with it. That also dose not exist today.

Answer 5

Observant Jews obey most of the Biblical law, but the more excessive ones (stonings etc) have been argued around by very clever people in the Talmud, so they aren't practiced.

Many believe that prayer provides a substitute to animal sacrifice.

Answer 6

Judaistic Jews believe that when the Messiah comes, he will rebuild the temple & take care of these issues. They also beleive that they are in a bit of a "wilderness" time right now.

Edit 1-Tribble
How do you know they are trying to reinstate the sacrifices this year? I do wish they would blow up that DAMN Dome (although I won't be the one to do that)!

Edit 2-Abdul
Prayer=animal sacrifices. Hmmm, that is interesting. I will have to dig into that a little more. Do you have a resource or something I could check out?

Answer 7

It is not possible for Jews generally to believe in Jesus as the Messiah. Although many of the Old Testament prophecies seems to refer to Jesus, we must remember that he opposed much of the Jewish traditions and he had to be punished.
It's ironic that animal sacrifice ceased not long after Jesus was Crucified; does that show that Jesus was indeed the true sacrifice and no other was needed? Sometimes I wonder.

Answer 8

They follow Mosaic law to the best of their ability. Much of what they can't follow has to do with the fact that there is no temple in place, and no Levite priests to care for the temple.
Otherwise, they do what they can to keep the Torah to the best of their ability. They don't believe that they are going to hell. They believe that they are to follow the Torah because of their agreement to do so at Mt. Sinai. This is a covenant between them and their God.
I hope this helps.

Answer 9

Animal Sacrifice ended with the destruction of the Temple as that is the only place it could be done. Also the Sanhedrin no longer exists so the the death penalty cannot be carried out.

Answer 10

Well in San Diego we meet at 7 pm on Fridays:

Sacrifice at 7:15 PM sharp

Stoning at 8:30 PM followed by Shrimp Cocktails and a reading from the Elders of Zion. R U and Idiot?