NOTES for Mic 6:8
During the Second Temple, after the Babylonian captivity, in the circles of the Jewish theologians were popular short one two sentences definitions of what is consisted the essence of the Torah. But, as we see, the roots of this after captivity rabbinical tradition leave the prophetic tradition, at the pre-captivity again. Micah gives such an affable definition, underlining the most important thing in the Torah: a righteous judgment, to love mercy (it is in particular so in the Jewish text) and the modesty or the restraint before God (that in the translation Bible of Jerusalem is called “to walk humbly"). Apparently, such a definition should not be considered universal: because it is not everybody who is a judge, it is not everybody can make a judicial determination. But the prophet speaks about judgment in a wider sense.
Indeed, the Torah was given not to condemn the neighbor, but so that he can use it, as a tool when taking a decision, corresponding the will of God, in this concrete situation, in which he makes this decision. And in a concrete situation each turns out for himself the judge: because it comes to everyone to evaluate himself, the situation itself, and the acts of everyone, having a relation with it, and his own choice. The good choice is the fundamental basis, when it comes to the observation of the Torah. But the good choice is possible only in case man is directed from the beginning to the mercy (what the prophet calls to love mercy).
As we see, such orientation was not at all an exclusive peculiarity of the revelations of the New Testament. Another thing is that without such a spiritual orientation, it is simply impossible to exist in the Kingdom. But also before the coming of Christ into the world, the prophets and the righteous men knew that the observation of the Torah without mercy is impossible. Indeed: the Torah supposes the presumption of innocence, in more not only legal, but also spiritual and moral, and propose it to the world of fallen people, who cannot act by definition according to the commandments given by God without special and focused efforts.
In such a world, not to condemn such people beforehand, not to initially assume their actions and acts of the worst intentions, it is necessary mercy, it is necessary to be ready to give to each the chance to prove himself a better man, than who, he will turn out most probably, by virtue of his fallen nature. And to be ready to respect God's commandments even with regard to the one who probably cannot respect them, and maybe, will not even want. But mercy is also little peculiar to the fallen man, quite as righteousness.
We can obtain both only by manifesting that restraint before God, of which speaks the prophet. It is not of course a matter that we have to be ashamed of God. It is about the fact that the man, wishing to obtain righteousness and mercy, should follow God, and not run before Him, turning periodically of the path, as runs sometimes before its master in the forest a young dog. Indeed, only by following God we can receive from Him these strengths and possibilities, which make of the righteous man a righteous man and give to the one who wishes to observe the Torah strengths to achieve his plan.