Observance
Every Jewish person who is even remotely acquainted with the religious component of Jewish life knows the word "observant." It certainly has a far more specific meaning than simply taking note of the things going on around you. An "observant" Jew is one who participates in the ceremonies and activities (large and small) that remind him over and over of his connection to God and his bond with his people.
Shabbat
The most important Jewish observance is Shabbat (the Sabbath). From sundown on Friday evening to sundown of the following day, observant Jewish people devote their thoughts to praise and thanksgiving to God and refrain from work, following the example of God himself: "For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it" (Exodus 20:11).
The prohibition of work is among the most misunderstood aspects of Jewish faith. The Jewish concept of work, in this context, is not simply physical labor. It is anything that may be thought of as exercising the creative impulse. We rest and focus our attention on God on Shabbat in order to reemphasize our awareness of God the Creator and our standing as His creatures.
Likewise, rest is not simply a cessation of physical activity, but a condition in which we find ourselves comfortably "at ease" in His presence. The book of Hebrews refers to the Sabbath rest for those who have placed their faith in Jesus the Messiah - "There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His" (Hebrews 4:9-10).
Mitzvot
The Mitzvot - Commandments - are another integral aspect of Jewish observance. According to Jewish tradition, there are 613 Mitzvot. These are interpreted by the sages of Israel, who have had the difficult task of applying the Law to circumstances that Moses the Lawgiver could not have imagined. Generally speaking, the Mitzvot fall into broad categories including proper understanding of the holiness of God, religious observance and ceremony, purity laws, stewardship, and ethical behavior.
Jesus the Messiah took the Mitzvot most seriously, as His words demonstrate - "Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled" (Matthew 5:17-18). Although the Law retains its power, Messiah's obedience to it and His ministry of atonement has liberated us from the deadly consequences of our disobedience to it.
Kashrut
The laws of Kashrut pertain to what is permissible for Jewish people to eat. Certain kinds of flesh, such as pork or shellfish, may not be eaten under any circumstances. The blood must be completely drained from meat and certain parts of even a kosher animal may not be consumed. Dairy and meat dishes may not be mixed, according to the scriptural injunction not to "boil a kid in its mother's milk" (Ex. 23:19; Ex. 34:26; Deut. 14:21). Utensils and dishes must also be carefully handled so they do not become ritually unclean.
The Kosher laws are undergirded by the understanding that as God's chosen people, our way of life is to be informed by a standard of holiness: "You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy" (Leviticus 19:2).
The New Covenant continues this theme of holiness when it describes the fellowship of faith in Messiah: "But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy" (1 Peter 2:9-10).
