Rabbinic Judaism began as a remnant of Mosaic Judaism after the Temple destruction in AD 70 and continues to the present day.
Since the Temple sacrifices central to Mosaic Judaism could no longer be performed, the rabbis embraced what remained of God’s revelation to man, Torah study, prayer, and observance of the remaining halakhot, in scattered synagogues and houses of study, based on God’s eternal election of His people Israel. God’s awesome depth is visible in that even what remains constantly refreshes Rabbinic Judaism as a living faith.
When we compare the Catholic Church with Rabbinic Judaism (as both are now) there are important differences. The Church today after two thousand years of development of doctrine is not the same as the early Church. However, there is clear continuity. We have celebrated the same seven Sacraments since Rabbi Yeshua instituted them two thousand years ago. We have recited the same Nicene Creed, our credo of faith, every Sunday morning during Mass for more than 1,600 years. And all of the development was guided by the Holy Spirit.
“All that the Lord has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient” Ex 24:7. “And Moses took the blood and threw it upon the people, and said, ‘Behold the blood of the covenant which the LORD has made with you in accordance with all these words.’” Ex 24:8. Moses foretold Rabbi Yeshua. “The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brethren—him you shall heed” Deut 18:15. Rabbi Yeshua replied across a thousand years of time, “If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote of me” Jn 5:46.
However, the Mosaic Judaism that God gave Moses on Mt. Sinai with their twelve tribes of Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Ephraim, Manasseh, Benjamin, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher Gen 35:23–25 was very different from Rabbi Yeshua‘s Judaism when only the tribe of Judah remained with a mere remnant of Israel.
Rabbi Yeshua‘s Mosaic Judaism still had the Torah‘s centerpiece, the Temple with its ritual sacrifices. Rabbinic Judaism today no longer has the Temple sacrifices, so Jews today can no longer perform a third of God’s 613 mitzvot.
During the past two centuries Rabbinic Judaism has added denominations. The original Rabbinic Judaism broke into Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, Reconstructionist, and Humanist Judaisms.
We can imagine Moses walking into a Reform synagogue and introducing himself, “Shalom, I’m Moshe. Tell me, where are the homes of the twelve tribes?” And the answer might be, “Tribes?” Moses might ask him, “Where is the Temple?” And the answer might be, “Temple? This is our temple.” Moses might look around and try again, “Where do the priests sacrifice the animals?” And the answer might be, “Moshe, believe me, we have no priests in this temple. That would be the Catholics across the street.”
Yet it is all within God‘s wise providence. Rabbi Yeshua tells us that “All Israel will be saved” Rom 11:26.