Rabbi's Musings

The biggest revolution in the history of Judaism was an evolution. Two thousand years ago, the leaders of Judaism pivoted away from Torah centered Judaism and began to create rabbinic Judaism. This new brand of religious observance made the best of having lost the Temple in Jerusalem and the priestly sacrificial service. Now, the rabbis became the leaders of Judaism. Prophecy had ended centuries before, the priests had no Temple, and the royal Davidic line had no kingdom. But the rabbis had the synagogues and the Torah. They expanded the understanding of Torah with oral tradition, or rabbinic literature. They created sermons to explain the changes in the world. They made a law code, called the Mishnah. They developed a prayer book, called the siddur. They made Judaism portable. Sacrifices became prayer services.
 
We are heirs of these sages. We practice the Judaism they created. The next big challenge to Judaism would be from a new religion which would take over that part of the world, Islam.