Do Jews believe in sin and that it must be forgiven? If so, do they sacrifice pure animals to renew their covenant, like the Israelites did?

[Thyme]

Hello,

It would be more appropriate to ask this on a Jewish forum, but I can’t be bothered to sign up to a forum just to ask one question .

In the Old Testament, the Israelites would sacrifice pure animals for their sins (If my interpretation is correct). If this is correct, is this what Jews do today? If not, what do they believe they must do to be forgiven?

It’s been years since I did R.E at school, so I don’t have much understanding of Judaism and this is something I’ve been wondering about.

Thanks.

 

[AlwaysAsking]

Hi,

I believe that animal sacrifice had to be discontinued after the Romans killed all of the Jewish priests.

If you don’t get a more authoritative answer, I’ll find a link for you later.

 

[Contarini]

Hello,

It would be more appropriate to ask this on a Jewish forum, but I can’t be bothered to sign up to a forum just to ask one question .

In the Old Testament, the Israelites would sacrifice pure animals for their sins (If my interpretation is correct). If this is correct, is this what Jews do today? If not, what do they believe they must do to be forgiven?

It’s been years since I did R.E at school, so I don’t have much understanding of Judaism and this is something I’ve been wondering about.

Thanks.

As I’m sure you know, the prophets and Psalmists taught that the true sacrifice is the sacrifice of a broken and a humble spirit. Jews believe that since they can no longer sacrifice animals as a sign of their repentance, God accepts repentance, which is the sacrifice that really matters anyway. In other words, whatever Jews before the destruction of the Temple may have believed (probably different groups believed different things), Jews today do not believe that God refuses to forgive people unless they find a “pure animal” to sacrifice. This is a Christian caricature of Judaism, perhaps based on how some ancient Jewish groups thought (probably not the Pharisees, but maybe the Sadducees, who unfortunately have left no writings behind to speak for themselves).

Traditional Jews (Orthodox and some Conservatives) hope for the restoration of the Temple so that animal sacrifices can be offered once again. Liberal Jews (Reformed and some Conservatives–yes, I know that the idea of liberal Conservatives is confusing, but Conservatives got their name from their relationship to Reform Judaism, not from their place on the spectrum of Judaism as a whole) believe that since the sacrifice of the heart is what matters there is no reason to restore animal sacrifice.

Edwin

 

[Thyme]

Thanks. I didn’t know about the destruction of the temple. I’m reading the Bible all the way through for the first time and haven’t got up to that bit yet.

I find Judaism really interesting, but difficult to understand because the Jews in the Old Testament are different to the Jews today.

 

[Contarini]

Thanks. I didn’t know about the destruction of the temple. I’m reading the Bible all the way through for the first time and haven’t got up to that bit yet.

I find Judaism really interesting, but difficult to understand because the Jews in the Old Testament are different to the Jews today.

Yes, they are. But of course we are different from the Jews in the Old Testament too

Religions develop over time. The religion of the ancient Hebrews has given rise to two major offshoots (three if you count Islam). Certainly in most respects what we call “Judaism” has more continuity with the OT than Christianity does, but not in all respects. We pick up on certain themes which are relatively muted in Judaism.

Edwin

 

[GEddie]

Yes, they are. But of course we are different from the Jews in the Old Testament too

Religions develop over time. The religion of the ancient Hebrews has given rise to two major offshoots (three if you count Islam). Certainly in most respects what we call “Judaism” has more continuity with the OT than Christianity does, but not in all respects. We pick up on certain themes which are relatively muted in Judaism.

Edwin

A priest whom I much admire said that our LORD’s life was like a fork in a river; (the river being Biblical Judaism) from which 2 streams went off in different directions, one being Christianity, the other modern Judaism. They separated, but they both continued downstream and did not stay the same. Christianity changed by taking on non-Jews and moving its base to Rome. Judaism changed, perforce, after the Temple was burned in AD70 (it has never been rebuilt, and animal sacrifices are not allowed without it) and the Sadducees, who had controlled the priesthood, were wiped out, leaving only the Pharisees of our LORD’s time in charge. So what we see now is not per se the Judaism HE knew.

ICXC NIKA

 

[Thyme]

A priest whom I much admire said that our LORD’s life was like a fork in a river; (the river being Biblical Judaism) from which 2 streams went off in different directions, one being Christianity, the other modern Judaism. They separated, but they both continued downstream and did not stay the same. Christianity changed by taking on non-Jews and moving its base to Rome. Judaism changed, perforce, after the Temple was burned in AD70 (it has never been rebuilt, and animal sacrifices are not allowed without it) and the Sadducees, who had controlled the priesthood, were wiped out, leaving only the Pharisees of our LORD’s time in charge. So what we see now is not per se the Judaism HE knew.

ICXC NIKA

That analogy explains it really clearly. Thank you very much! And also thank you to the other people who posted. You helped as well.

 

[Kaninchen]

Hello,

It would be more appropriate to ask this on a Jewish forum, but I can’t be bothered to sign up to a forum just to ask one question .

In the Old Testament, the Israelites would sacrifice pure animals for their sins (If my interpretation is correct). If this is correct, is this what Jews do today? If not, what do they believe they must do to be forgiven?

It’s been years since I did R.E at school, so I don’t have much understanding of Judaism and this is something I’ve been wondering about.

Thanks.

The answers to these sorts of basic questions can be found on sites like Judaism 101 and My Jewish Learning.

 

[sojo]

Kaninchen, thank you so much for those links! I am a Jewish (mostly non-practicing) convert to Catholicism, but I am always eager to learn more about my birth-faith.

 

[GerardMajella]

In the Old Testament, the Israelites would sacrifice pure animals for their sins (If my interpretation is correct). If this is correct, is this what Jews do today? If not, what do they believe they must do to be forgiven?

Some Jewish congregations recite the “Vidui” (“Confession”) at the end of the Weekly Morning prayer service (“Shacharis”). It is recited while standing, and is omitted on days when “Tachanun” (“supplication”) prayers are said after Shacharis.

Interestingly enough, the prayer is said while striking the left side of the chest with the right fist while reciting each of the sins in the confessional litany, which is similar to the same gesture done in the Public Confession of the Tridentine Mass said by the priest and altar servers.

The Jews believe that one confesses properly by confessing directly to God, and not through an intermediary such as a priest. In fact, the Jewish faith believes that all prayers are properly directed to God alone, and not through intercessors nor intermediaries.

 

[Thyme]

The answers to these sorts of basic questions can be found on sites like Judaism 101 and My Jewish Learning.

Thank you, those sites are really helpful.

Not to blaspheme (Ex. 22:27; in Christian texts, Ex. 22:28), the penalty for which is death (Lev. 24:16) (negative).

Am I right to assume that by ‘death’, it means eternal damnation?

Not to make a loan to an Israelite on interest (Lev. 25:37) (CCN54).
Not to borrow on interest (Deut. 23:20) (because this would cause the lender to sin) (CCN55).

Shouldn’t Christians be adhering to this?

 

[Kaninchen]

Am I right to assume that by ‘death’, it means eternal damnation?

Shouldn’t Christians be adhering to this?

Just to point out that the Jewish position on Torah can’t be deduced purely from the text - it’s necessary to take into account what is known as ‘Oral Torah’ (you can read up about it on Wikipedia).

 

[Dokimas]

Hello,

It would be more appropriate to ask this on a Jewish forum, but I can’t be bothered to sign up to a forum just to ask one question .

In the Old Testament, the Israelites would sacrifice pure animals for their sins (If my interpretation is correct). If this is correct, is this what Jews do today? If not, what do they believe they must do to be forgiven?

It’s been years since I did R.E at school, so I don’t have much understanding of Judaism and this is something I’ve been wondering about.

Thanks.

The Temple with the Ark upon which the Mercy Seat was place no longer exists. That was the only place that sacrifice for sin could be made on the Day of Atonement. A new Temple is ready to be constructed when the Muslim Holy place is taken away in Jerusalem. Then sacrifice will be made again… Then enters the anti-Christ.

 

[GerardMajella]

Not to blaspheme (Ex. 22:27; in Christian texts, Ex. 22:28), the penalty for which is death (Lev. 24:16) (negative).

Am I right to assume that by ‘death’, it means eternal damnation?

Let’s take a look at the text in Douay-Rheims for starters, Exodus 22:28:

“Thou shalt not speak ill of the gods, and the prince of thy people thou shalt not curse.”

In the Stone Edition of the Chumash, however, the text reads:

“You shall not revile God, and you shall not curse a leader among your people.”

The Chumash’s commentary (p. 432-433) states, “The Sages derive that the word Elohim in this verse refers to judges, as well as to God. Thus, although it is forbidden to curse anyone, the Torah singles out judges and leaders, because their responsibility to render decisions and enforce judgment makes them vulnerable to the imprecations of those whom they rule against.”

Now, let’s turn to Leviticus 24:16, Douay-Rheims:

“And he that blasphemeth the name of the Lord, dying let him die: all the multitude shall stone him, whether he be a native or a stranger. He that blasphemeth the name of the Lord, dying let him die.”

Compared with the Stone Edition Chumash, Leviticus 24:16:

“…and one who pronounces blasphemously the Name of Hashem shall be put to death, the entire assembly shall surely stone him; proselyte and native alike, when he blasphemes the Name, he shall be put to death.”

Hashem (“The Name”) means God. According to the commentary of the Chumash, verse 16 refers to where “the conditions for the death penalty are present”.

So, basically, the two verses are not referring to the same issue at hand. The first, in Exodus, refers to someone that curses a leader or a judge. The second verse in Leviticus, by contrast, refers to someone that curses the Name of God, and is therefore stoned to death.

These laws in the Old Testament refer to Israel, not the Gentile nations. According to Judaism, the Gentile nations are only required to follow the Noahide Laws if they are to have a place in the “World to Come”. The Gentile nations are not required to follow the Mosaic Law.

From the perspective of Orthodox Judaism, the traditional Jews do not believe in eternal damnation. That’s a wholly Christian concept. Instead, the Jews believe in a concept called “Gehinnom” - a spiritual cleansing of souls in the afterlife that rids the soul of any vestige of sin from this lifetime to prepare it for the next world.

Then sacrifice will be made again…

This is only partly accurate if one is referring to traditional Jewish thought on the return of the sacrificial offerings: “The Sages teach that after the coming of the Messiah and the perfection of the world, there will be no further need for offerings (of atonement, because people will no longer sin (Yefei Toar)), but there will always be thanksgiving-offerings.”

 

[Thyme]

Thanks for these explanations. There’s a lot to read up on.

Gehinnom sounds like Purgatory. Is the concept of Gehinnom from the Torah, or was it passed down oraly (which also sounds like sacred tradition).

Also, what do you mean when you mention that the temple may be rebuilt when the Muslims’ holy place is moved out of Jerusalem?

 

[Nine_Two]

Shouldn’t Christians be adhering to this?

Should, yes.

 

[Nine_Two]

The Temple with the Ark upon which the Mercy Seat was place no longer exists. That was the only place that sacrifice for sin could be made on the Day of Atonement. A new Temple is ready to be constructed when the Muslim Holy place is taken away in Jerusalem. Then sacrifice will be made again… Then enters the anti-Christ.

There were also plans to build a new temple during the reign of Julian the Apostate. It is not for man, but for God to decide the time of the New Temple.

 

[Thyme]

Should, yes.

So, it’s wrong to have a bank account which earns interest and to invest my savings?

 

[Dokimas]

There were also plans to build a new temple during the reign of Julian the Apostate. It is not for man, but for God to decide the time of the New Temple.

Are you agree with me, disagreeing with me or adding to what I’ve said?

The Jews are back in the promised land. God did a miracle no matter what anyone else says. He’ll bring His prophecies to completion in His time.

 

[Nine_Two]

Are you agree with me, disagreeing with me or adding to what I’ve said?

The Jews are back in the promised land. God did a miracle no matter what anyone else says. He’ll bring His prophecies to completion in His time.

More adding to it than anything, I believe it being on Gods time to be an important aspect of the third temple. Your post neither affirmed or denied this, so can’t really agree or disagree.