Rebbetzin Chava Kuperman
This prophet appeared after the reign of Uzziah; his prophecies mention only the three subsequent kings: Jotham, Ahab, and Hezekiah.
Micah’s prophecies concern both Judah and Israel, but he is primarily a prophet of Judah.
In Micah’s lifetime, many false prophets appear, claiming that all will be well and peaceful, and that there is no need to listen to those who frighten the people with impending horrors and exile.
The harshest part of Micah’s prophecy is in chapter 3 of his book (verse 12); here, all the most terrible things said about Judah are repeated: “Because of you, Zion will be plowed like a field, and Jerusalem will be destroyed.”
There is another very interesting point. Chapter 4 of the book of the prophet Micah (from verse 1 through the end of verse 3) and chapter 2 of the book of the prophet Isaiah (verses 1-4) are almost identical (the differences are minimal). Of course, when selecting texts for the books of the prophets, the Men of the Great Assembly could not simply "overlook" two virtually identical texts. Why, then, are they so similar? This helps us understand that when the Almighty decides to reveal a prophecy, many people can “connect” to it and perceive it, but each does so on his own spiritual level, and therefore each hears it a little differently.
Chapter 5 and chapter 6 of Micah are read as the haftarah for Parashat Balak. Here is what it says: “My people, remember what King Balak, king of Moab, proposed concerning you, and what Balaam son of Beor answered him. From Shittim to Gilgal, let them know of the L-rd’s kindness!”
We know that Moshe Rabbeinu passed on 613 commandments to us. But there are so many that we feel rather lost.
To make all the commandments easier to remember, King David grouped them and condensed them to 11. (He recorded them in Psalm 15: “1. L-rd, who is worthy to dwell in Your Tent, who will live on Your holy mountain? 2. One who walks humbly, acts justly, and speaks the truth in his heart; 3. who has no gossip on his tongue, who does no harm to his friend and does not disgrace his neighbor; 4. in whose eyes baseness is abhorrent and who honors those who fear the L-rd; who does not go back on his word, even if he has sworn to his own detriment; 5. who does not lend his money at interest and does not take bribes to condemn the innocent. One who acts this way will never be shaken.”)
Micah narrowed all this down to three basic principles (chapter 6, verse 8):
“...what is good and what the Almighty requires of you: to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly before the Almighty.”
(The requirement to “walk humbly before the Almighty” means observing His laws with fitting modesty.)
Much has been written about these three principles; they reflect:
1) a person's relationship with the Almighty (a particular requirement: never do anything for show), 2) relationships between people (show kindness to one another), and 3) judgment (of other people, but first and foremost, of oneself).
Chapter 7 of the Book of Micah describes how people will behave before the coming of Mashiach. It says that insolence will increase many times over, and everyone will become so brazen that no one can be trusted.
At the very end are the last three verses, which some communities customarily read on the Shabbat before Yom Kippur (we also read them during the prayers on Rosh Hashanah). Rabbi Moshe Cordovero (the 16th century) analyzes these verses in his book “Tomer Devorah”—“The Palm Tree of Deborah.” He says: “The last three verses in the Book of the Prophet Micah are connected with the Almighty's thirteen attributes of mercy, which He imparted to Moses after the sin of the Golden Calf. We are obliged to let these attributes guide us!”
If we conduct ourselves this way, the Almighty treats us with that same degree of mercy.
To be continued