How did the nature of practicing Judaism change after the loss of the second temple?

Answer 1

Judaism changed from a location based religion with animal sacrifices, to a portable religion, based on prayer, study, and acts of lovingkindness.

Answer 2

The center of Judaism is and always has been the Torah and our relationship to God, including our beliefs and all of the Torah's commands. The Temple was very important but was not THE most important thing. Public prayer, ethics, and study had existed before the Temple was built and continued after its destruction.

Answer 2

Judaism changed from a location based religion with animal sacrifices, to a portable religion, based on prayer, study, and acts of lovingkindness.

Jewish answer:

The above is a secular viewpoint. Here are corrections for its mistakes:

a) Judaism has always had prayers and study, ever since the time of Abraham (Talmud, Yoma 28b). The prophets themselves headed schools of disciples, called the bnei haneviim.

b) The Torah, its commands and the principles and beliefs of Judaism have never changed.

c) Acts of lovingkindness are commanded in the Torah itself. That didn't suddenly change during the Second Temple era.

d) The sacrifices were never abrogated or anulled. See below.

Judaism has evolved only as circumstances have necessitated. Here are a few examples:
1) After the end of prophecy (some 2350 years ago), the Tanakh was sealed by a special Sanhedrin (Rabbinical court). It was the same Sanhedrin which placed our prayers in their permanent form (see Talmud, Berakhot 33a).
2) Purim and Hanukkah were instituted after the relevant events.
3) Certain fasts were instituted in connection with the Destruction of the Temple.
4) After the Destruction of the Temple, the laws of sacrifices were suspended, because the Destruction made it impossible to fulfill them..
5) When circumstances made it impossible, the New Moon was no longer proclaimed by testimony; rather, the fixed calendar was instituted (around 360 CE).
6) The Talmud was put in writing (around 500 CE) when it became too hard to be learned by heart.
7) There are seven formal Rabbinical commands. These are:
Saying the blessings over food (and on various occasions)
Washing one's hands before eating bread
Lighting the Hanukkah-menorah
The Eruv
Saying the Hallel prayer on certain occasions
Lighting the Sabbath candles
Reading the Megillat Esther on Purim.
In addition, there are many Rabbinical decrees, mostly from the Men of the Great Assembly (4th century BCE), as well as later enactments.
The purpose of every one of these is to provide a "fence around the Torah," meaning to shore up something that can benefit from strengthening. An example: not handling electric appliances on the Sabbath, even if they are not connected to any electric socket.

Answer 3

The religion, which is outlined in the Torah, stayed the same. It was only our observance of the religion which became curtailed in the area of sacrifices since the Temple and its altar no longer stood. Even Today, the religion hasn't changed, and we must keep as many Torah-commands as are possible.

On the other hand, the destruction of the Temple also involved the destruction of the priesthood as a controlling body. This then resulted in growth of the Rabbis into a more prominent role as religious leaders, filling some of the space previous occupied by the priests.

Answer 4

Judaism centers around Torah-observance. This has never changed. The Torah contains many hundreds of commands, hundreds of which are applicable today too. When offering sacrifices was possible, they were offered; and when the Temple was destroyed, those particular commands of the Torah were suspended. It's like a man who lost his arms: he doesn't put tefillin on, but his Judaism hasn't changed.
To answer the question:
While the Torah, its commands and the principles and beliefs of Judaism remain unchanged, Judaism has evolved as circumstances have necessitated.
1) After the end of prophecy (some 2350 years ago), the canon of the Tanakh was sealed by a special Sanhedrin (Rabbinical court). It was the same Sanhedrin which placed our prayers in their permanent form (Talmud, Berakhot 33a).
2) Purim and Hanukkah were instituted after the relevant events.
3) Certain fasts were instituted in connection with the Destruction of the Temple.
4) After the Destruction, the laws of sacrifices were suspended.
5) When circumstances made it impossible, the New Moon was no longer proclaimed by testimony; rather, the fixed calendar was instituted (around 360 CE).
6) The Talmud was put in writing (around 500 CE) when it became too hard to be learned by heart.
7) There are seven formal Rabbinical commands. These are:
Saying the blessings over food (and on various occasions)
Washing one's hands before eating bread
Lighting the Hanukkah-menorah
The Eruv
Saying the Hallel prayer on certain occasions
Lighting the Sabbath candles
Reading the Megillat Esther on Purim.
In addition, there are many Rabbinical decrees, mostly from the Men of the Great Assembly (4th century BCE), as well as later enactments.
The purpose of every one of these is to provide a "fence around the Torah," meaning to shore up something that can benefit from strengthening. An example: not handling electric appliances on the Sabbath, even if they are not connected to any electric socket.

See also:

Jewish history timeline

Was Judaism altered after the destruction of the Temple?

Answer 5

The center of Judaism is and always has been the Torah and our relationship to God, including our beliefs and all of the Torah's commands. The Temple was very important but was not THE most important thing. Judaism has never been Temple-based, since even while the Temple stood there were Jewish communities at great distances, whose populace did not ever see the Temple. They observed all the rest of the Torah's commands and no one criticized them because of their location.
We keep whichever of the Torah's commands that circumstances enable us to do. Without the Temple, we do not now offer sacrifices, but we learn their laws along with the rest of the Torah and we mourn the Temple's destruction. It is no less important than it was.

Note that the Question seems, at least partially, to be based upon a common misconception. Jews always worshiped in synagogues, even when the Holy Temple stood. Even within the Temple premises, there were several synagogues. During the Second Temple era, ancient Greek authors attest to the large synagogues that stood in all the countries where Jews lived. The Dioploston in Alexandria, for example, was famous for its size (Talmud, Tosefta Sukkah 4:6). In First Temple times also, synagogues served the same function (of daily prayer and study) that they do today (Talmud, Megillah 26b and Berakhot 31a).

The following changes took place after the Destruction:
1) After the Destruction, sacrifices would not be possible. Prayer (which had always existed) would now be the sole offering to God, alongside the Torah-study and performance of mitzvot (Torah-commands), which had also always existed.
2) In addition, there are a number of commands (relating to the sacrifices, the Temple, and the Kohanim) that we would be unable to perform.
3) Also, the Sages took several steps after the Destruction: they recorded the Temple-procedures in Talmud tractates such as Yoma, Midot, Shekalim and Tamid, and they enacted observances to remember the Temple (Talmud, Sukkah 41a) and mourn its destruction (Talmud, Sotah 49a).
4) The Jewish population was dispersing gradually more and more, so the sages soon permitted the writing of the entire Oral Tradition so it wouldn't be forgotten.
5) Certain changes were made in the daily prayers. Instead of praying that God accept the sacrifices, the prayers now asked for the rebuilding of the Temple.

See also the Related Links.

Link: Did Judaism change from priest-led to rabbi-led?

Link: Destruction and diaspora

Link: Jewish history timeline

Answer 6

It did not. This is a secular misconception.

The Jews have always had synagogues.