What is the Torah’s aim

This article drills down on the ultimate purpose of the Torah's numerous rules and regulations 

The Talmud bavli (makkos 24a) recounts that there are 613 commandments and yet as the generations wore on various prophets kept boiling them down to subsequently fewer and fewer core mitzvos (11,6,3,2,1). The first four iterations (11,6,3,2) relate to moral and ethical behavior exclusively. In other words—to use the christian idiom—works. The last and final one—וְצַדִּיק בֶּאֱמוּנָתוֹ יִחְיֶה—apparently does an about face, and surprisingly, endorses faith as the yesod vshoresh ha'avodah (unless one interprets emunah as integrity and faithfulness). 

How are we to make sense of this apparent 180? 

There’s another famous passage in the bavli shabbos 31a where Hillel describes the essence of Judaism as: דַּעֲלָךְ סְנֵי לְחַבְרָךְ לָא תַּעֲבֵיד – זוֹ הִיא כׇּל הַתּוֹרָה כּוּלָּהּ, וְאִידַּךְ פֵּירוּשַׁהּ הוּא, זִיל גְּמוֹר seemingly distilling the entirety of Torah into virtuous interpersonal relationships, unlike the gemaras conclusion in makkos. 

So which is it: faith or works?

Perhaps the following can be suggested.

 
Rambam is of the opinion that correct metaphysical knowledge is the acme of human achievement (which jives well with the conclusion in makkos). The mitzvos, in his reading, serve to socialize man, steer him towards correct ideas and remove character flaws that impede their apprehension. The laws are means to an end.

There is another way to view what constitutes the apogee of a virtuous life and that is in treating ones fellow human with compassion and integrity (aka prophetic Judaism), as indicated by Hillel. 

Now, if one believes in an amoral god or no god at all, or even if one believes in a creator god but not one interested in the happenings of this world and humanity, then the basis for acting morally, especially when one can evade the utilitarian police, essentially ceases to exist. History shows the notion of secular morality to be relative indeed. It is only when people are reasonably convinced of the existence of a moral God that has made His law known to mankind, and who will hold mankind to account, that people start to treat each other well.

In this reading, the mitzvos—aside for those governing interpersonal relationships—have got to do with establishing and reinforcing the existence of an all-powerful God that is interested in and cares about humanity (eg the numerous mitzvos related to idolatry and the exodus).

One can read the Decalogue as a progression from the philosophical framework necessary to implement the interpersonal laws to the actual laws themselves.

In this understanding, faith is a means to works—not the other way round. 

What underpins and undergirds the best social behavior and from where it all flows is in the realization that we are all created in the image of a loving and compassionate God that deeply cares about the goings-on of this world and that our actions matter to Him.

Ultimately, וְצַדִּיק בֶּאֱמוּנָתוֹ יִחְיֶה leads to דַּעֲלָךְ סְנֵי לְחַבְרָךְ לָא תַּעֲבֵיד.