We find offerings and slaughterings as atonement for sins. If this is the way in which we always received atonement, this is the format in which G-d wishes to atone for our sins. In which case, how do we atone for these sins now, after the destruction of the Second Temple in 70CE?
As I understand, the answer requires us to understand that Judaism underwent an unfortunate shift after the Destruction of the Temples – The Jewish people in their dispersed state, could no longer access or maintain the state of purity necessary to offer up sacrifices to G-d. Sacrifices became something of an impossibility – especially as understood by the Talmud, once the Temple was erected, offering sacrifices in other ‘High Places’ or ‘Bamot’ was Biblically prohibited.
With the Destruction of the Second Temple in 70CE, another, possibly just as significant shift occurred in the Leadership of Jewery. Prophets were replaced by the accent of the Oral Law. No longer could we rely on the prophets (the last of which, was Malachi), we turned to the Rabbis – our only connection to the Sinaitic tradition. The Rabbis were the ones who could interpret the prophets, and most importantly the Torah. The prophets left a legacy, one small line of which, is in Hosea Chapter 14 – “Return Israel unto the Lord your G-d, for you have stumbled through your sins. Take with you words, and return unto the Lord, say to Him: “May you forgive all iniquity and accept good intentions, and let our lips substitute for bulls”.” Evidently, G-d tells us through his prophets, and subsequently, through Oral tradition, that bloodshed is not necessary any longer – or rather, in this imperfect state, we must do our best to substitute whatever the sacrifices accomplished through repentance alone. In biblical times, we could access atonement through both ‘bulls’ and repentance, now we are unfortunately only left with one of them, with the promise from Hosea, that G-d accepts the repentance alone.
Rabbi Shmuel Kimche