Answer/Explanation:
Judaism is not just a set of beliefs about G-d, man, and the universe. Judaism is a comprehensive way of life, filled with rules and practices that affect every aspect of life: what you do when you wake up in the morning, what you can and cannot eat, what you can and cannot wear, how to groom yourself, how to conduct business, who you can marry, how to observe the holidays and Shabbat, and perhaps most important, how to treat G-d, other people, and animals. This set of rules and practices is known as Halakhah.
The word “Halakhah” is usually translated as “Jewish Law,” although a more literal (and more appropriate) translation might be “the path that one walks.” The word is derived from the Hebrew root Hei-Lamed-Kaf, meaning to go, to walk, or to travel.
Some non-Jews and non-observant Jews criticize this legalistic aspect of traditional Judaism, saying that it reduces the religion to a set of rituals devoid of spirituality. While there are certainly some Jews who observe Halakhah in this way, that is not the intention of Halakhah, and it is not even the correct way to observe Halakhah.
On the contrary, when properly observed, Halakhah increases the spirituality in a person's life, because it turns the most trivial, mundane acts, such as eating and getting dressed, into acts of religious significance. When people write to me and ask how to increase their spirituality or the influence of their religion in their lives, the only answer I can think of is: observe more Halakhah. Keep kosher or light Shabbat candles, pray after meals or once or twice a day. When you do these things, you are constantly reminded of your relationship with the Divine, and it becomes an integral part of your entire existence.
Are these laws sometimes inconvenient? Yes, of course. But if someone you care about -- your parent, your child, your spouse -- asked you to do something inconvenient or unpleasant, something you didn't feel like doing, you would do it, wouldn't you? It is a very shallow and meaningless kind of love if you aren't willing to do something inconvenient for the one you love. How much more, so, should we be willing to perform some occasionally inconvenient tasks that were set before us by our Creator, who assigned those tasks to us for our good?
Sources: jewfaq.org
