Jewish Question?

Question

Just wondering, Does the Jewish(Hebrew) faith still call for and use the animal sacrifice method of Sin repentance.

I was just curious.

Answer 1

No. Animal sacrifice was replaced by the prayer services after the destruction of the Temple in 70 CE.

Times had changed -- animal sacrifice made sense to nomadic herders, but the people were now largely settled and made their living in other ways. And the loss of the second Temple made it clear that Jews needed something very portable and personal.

The prayer services completely fulfill the mitzvot calling for sacrifices. No more is needed.

Answer 2

No, we do not use animal sacrifice.
In fact, If one believed that a blood sacrifice was necessary before God would forgive you, then even one example where God forgave without a blood sacrifice would prove that this idea is UnBiblical. There are many such examples, but the most interesting is found in the Book of Leviticus. The reason this is so interesting is that it comes right in the middle of the discussion of sin sacrifices, which is found in the first chapters. In Leviticus 5:11-13, it states, "If, however, he cannot afford two doves or two young pigeons, he is to bring as an offering for his sin a tenth of an ephah of fine flour for a sin offering." One can also see that one does not need a blood sacrifice for the forgiveness of sins in the Book of Jonah 3:10. There, the Bible simply states that God saw the works of the people of Ninevah. Specifically it says that the works God saw were that they stopped doing evil, and so God forgave them. There are plenty of other examples, and the idea that one needs a blood sacrifice for the forgiveness of sins is UnBiblical.

Answer 3

No. When the Second Temple was destroyed all sacrifices ceased. Repentance is through prayer and teshuvah (turning away from "sinning" and doing the right thing). I put sinning in quotes because it doesn't have the same connotations as it does in Christianity--in general it's much more just "missing the mark" (which is what the original Hebrew for sin actually means) than anything else.