And about 3,000 people fell on that day (32:28)
Regarding the 3,000 people dying, the Medrash writes that this is a fulfillment of the passuk (Shemos 21:37) “If a man shall steal an ox etc,. he shall pay 5 cattle in place of the ox.” Clearly, this Medrash needs explanation.
The Vilna Gaon explains this Medrash based on another Medrash. The passuk in Koheles says (7:28). “1 man in 1,000 I have found, but 1 woman I have not found”. The Medrash explains that it refers to the sin of the Eigel, the Golden calf, where 1 out of 1,000 men participated in the sin but not one woman participated in the sin.
The way the Medrash learns that this passuk is referring to the sin of the Eigel is since the cry of the sinners at the Eigel was אלהקי ישראל אל, and this passuk says בכל אלה לא מצאתי ואשה, a woman out of those involved in אלה i.e. the Eigel, I have not found, meaning that the women were not involved in the sin of the Eigel.
Given that there were 600,000 Jews in the desert, then at a ratio of 1 out of 1,000, it comes out that 600 Jews served the Eigel. At this ratio the Medrash is bothered why 3,000 people die if only 600 people actually sinned at the Eigel. This question is being addresses by the first Medrash. The Medrash’s answer is based on the passuk that says that one who steals an ox must repay 5 times its value. So too, the sinners at the Eigel ‘stole’ an ox since they chose the ox after having seeing the resemblance of an ox on Hashem’s Chariot, the punishment therefore was that 5 times the amount of the sinners died 5x 600 = 3,000.
The Maharil Diskin has a different way of understanding the above mentioned passuk. He learns that the 3,000 people that died were actually the sinners. As a result of this sin the Jews were ordered to each give ½ a shekel twice; once it went towards the making of the sockets for the beams that served as walls for the Mishkan and the second time went towards buying animals for korbanos. The Maharil Diskin shows how ½ a shekel from 600,000 Jews is an exact atonement for the sin of the Eigel.
The value of a male, age 20-60, is 50 shkelim (see Vayikra 27:3). 3,000 x 50 is 150,000 which is 300,000 ½ shekels. Since the Jews had to atone 5 times the amount of people that served the Eigel as the passuk indicates is the amendment for one who steals an ox. The fact that the sinners actually died served as atonement for 1 time. The ½ shekel is to atone for the other 4 times. 4 x 300,000 is 1,200,000 ½ shekel which is 600,000 whole shekel. Thus, together there was 5 times 3,000 people forgiven since the Jews giving of ½ a shekel twice amount to exactly 4 times the value of a male between the age of 20-60, plus the actually sinners who died themselves.
The Jews’ number was counted by means of this ½ a shekel that each person gave. The Medrash says that the first letters of the names of the 11 Shevatim that participated, hint to the number of Jews there were after the 3,000 died as a result of the Eigel.
ראובןַ נן 50 שמעון 300 גד 3 יהודה 10 אשר 1 יששכר 10 יוסף 10 זבולן בנימין 2
Altogether, this amounts 597 i.e., 597,000, exactly 3,000 short of 600,000. The Medrash explains that this is hinted to in the words (30:12) “count the heads of the Jewish people”, this can be understood – count the head i.e. the beginning of the names that make up the Jewish nation and the result will tell the number of Jewish people alive after the sin of the Eigel.
Based on Drush veChesbon
