כִּי תִשָּׂא אֶת רֹאשׁ, וְנָתְנוּ אִישׁ כֹּפֶר נַפְשׁוֹ. כֵּיוָן שֶׁשָּׁמַע מֹשֶׁה, אָמַר עוֹד בְּעַד עוֹר וְכֹל אֲשֶׁר לָאִישׁ יִתֵּן בְּעַד נַפְשׁוֹ (איוב ב, ד). אָמַר רַבִּי יְהוּדָה בַּר אִלְעַאי: כְּשֶׁשָּׁמַע מֹשֶׁה, יָרַד לְהוֹרוֹת וְאָמַר בְּלִבּוֹ: מָצָאנוּ שֶׁפִּדְיוֹן נֶפֶשׁ אָדָם כִּכַּר כֶּסֶף, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וְהָיָה נַפְשְׁךָ תַּחַת נַפְשׁוֹ אוֹ כִכַּר כֶּסֶף תִּשְׁקוֹל (מלכים א כ, לט), כָּל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל יְהֵא נוֹתֵן כִּכַּר כֶּסֶף. אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן: מִמִּי לָמַד? מִמּוֹצִיא שֵׁם רָע. אָמַר הַכָּתוּב: וְעָנְשׁוּ אֹתוֹ מֵאָה כֶסֶף וְנָתְנוּ לַאֲבִי הַנַּעֲרָה (דברים כב, יט). וְאָנוּ הוֹצֵאנוּ שֵׁם רַע וְאָמַרְנוּ לָעֵגֶל, אֵלֶּה אֱלֹהֶיךָ, יִהְיֶה נוֹתֵן כָּל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד מֵאָה כֶּסֶף. When thou takest the sum of the children of Israel … then shall they give every man a ransom (Exod. 30:12). When Moses heard this, he said: Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath he will give for his life (Job 2:4). R. Judah the son of Ilai stated: When Moses heard this he began to reflect upon it, and said to himself: Since we find that the soul of a man may be redeemed with a talent of silver, as is said: Then shall thy life be for his life, or else thou shall pay a talent of silver (I Kings 20:39), let each Israelite give a talent of silver. R. Johanan posed the query: From what source do we learn the penalty for debasing the reputation of a person? He explained: From the fact that Scripture states: And they shall fine him a hundred shekels of silver, and give them unto the father of the damsel, because he has brought an evil name upon a virgin of Israel (Deut. 22:19). Similarly, we brought an evil name (upon God) when we said of the golden calf: This is thy God, O Israel; therefore let each Israelite give a silver piece.
רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן לָקִישׁ אָמַר: מִן הָאוֹנֵס לָמַד מֹשֶׁה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וְנָתַן הָאִישׁ הַשֹּׁכֵב עִמָּהּ לַאֲבִי הַנַּעֲרָה חֲמִשִּׁים כָּסֶף (דברים כב, כט). וַאֲנַחְנוּ אָנַסְנוּ הַדָּבָר, שֶׁאָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא: לֹא יִהְיֶה לְךָ אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים (שמות כ, ג). וְעָשִׂינוּ אֶת הָעֵגֶל, לְפִיכָךְ יְהֵא נוֹתֵן כָּל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד חֲמִשִּׁים כָּסֶף. וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים: מִן הַמְפַתֶּה לָמַד, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: כִּי יְפַתּה אִישׁ בְּתוּלָה, כֶּסֶף יִשְׁקֹל כְּמֹהַר הַבְּתוּלֹת (שמות כב טו, טז), אַף הוּא בַּחֲמִשִּׁים כָּסֶף. וְאָנוּ, וַיְפַתּוּהוּ בְפִיהֶם וּבִלְשׁוֹנָם יְכַזְּבוּ לוֹ, וְלִבָּם לֹא נָכוֹן עִמּוֹ וְלֹא נֶאֶמְנוּ בִּבְרִיתוֹ (תהילים עח לו, לז). לְפִיכָךְ יִתֵּן כָּל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד חֲמִשִּׁים כָּסֶף. R. Simeon the son of Levi said: Moses learned it from the law concerning (a woman) who has been violated, as it is stated: Then the man that lay with her shall give unto the damsel’s father fifty shekels of silver (ibid., v. 29). Since we have violated the word that the Holy One, blessed be He, spoke to us: Thou shalt have no other gods before Me (Exod. 20:3), and erected the calf, let each of us give fifty pieces of silver. Others say he learned it from the law of enticement, as it is said: And if a man entice a virgin that is not betrothed, he shall surely pay dowry for her (Deut. 22:15). The dowry one pays for a virgin (who has been enticed) is fifty pieces of silver. Hence, since they enticed Him with their mouths and deceived Him with their tongues, For their heart was not steadfast with Him, neither were they faithful in His covenant (Ps. 78:37), let each one give fifty shekels of silver.
רַבִּי יְהוּדָה בַּר סִימָן אוֹמֵר: מִשּׁוֹר נַגָּח לָמַד, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: אִם עֶבֶד יִגַּח הַשּׁוֹר אוֹ אָמָה כֶּסֶף שְׁלֹשִׁים שְׁקָלִים וְגוֹ' (שמות כא, לב). וְאָנוּ הֵמַרְנוּהוּ בְּשׁוֹר, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וַיָּמִירוּ אֶת כְּבוֹדָם בְּתַבְנִית שׁוֹר וְגוֹ' (תהלים קו, כ), כָּל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד יִתֵּן כֶּסֶף שְׁלֹשִׁים שְׁקָלִים. יוֹדֵעַ הָיָה הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מַה בְּלִבּוֹ שֶׁל מֹשֶׁה, וְהֶרְאָהוּ בְּאֶצְבָּעוֹ וְאָמַר לוֹ: מֹשֶׁה, זֶה יִתְּנוּ, כָּזֶה יִתְּנוּ. R. Judah the son of Simon contended that he learned it from the law concerning the ox that gored. It is said: If the ox gore a bondman or a bondwoman, he shall give thirty shekels of silver (Exod. 21:32), and since we replaced Him with an ox (i.e the golden calf), as is said: Thus they exchanged their glory for the likeness of an ox that eateth grain (Ps. 106:20), each one shall give thirty shekels of silver. The Holy One, blessed be He, knew what was in Moses’ heart, and so He showed him with His finger, as is said: Moses, this they shall give, that is, this amount they shall give.