Why don't Jews sacrifice for atonement of sins any more?

Question

Serious question. I want to know. Serious answers.

Answer 1

It was getting too expensive to waste all that good meat.

(But really, Destruction of the Temple by Titus in 70 AD after the Zealot insurrection)

-Kerplunk!

Answer 2

Sacrifices were always only one way of attaining atonement. Up until the building of the temple, Kohanim could build temporary altars and offer sacrifices on them. After the Temple, when the presence of God came to reside their, it became the only place in which sacrifices could be offered- and that was a permanent stipulation. Thus no sacrifices can be brought until such time as the temple is rebuilt.

So until that time prayer replaces sacrifice, charity remains in place as a means of atonement as does the doing of good deeds- all of these are valid means of atonement if the person is sincere in their desire to repent.

As a side note- not all sacrifices were blood sacrifices. If the person could not afford an animal or bird to sacrifice they could bring a flour offering instead. Also, their were specific festival sacrifices of water and wine, though those weren't for atonement purposes.

Answer 3

Since the Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed in approximately 73 c.e., we have no place to have animal sacrifices. So, the rabbis went back to the Torah to look for an alternative, and found it in prayer.

Answer 4

Wow, I've no idea how many times I've answered these kind of questions. Lol...anyways, because there's no Temple anymore. And they could only have been done with the Temple still standing. And in the Temple, that is.

Answer 5

Because the temple is no more. It stopped when the temple was destroyed.