Шмот 30:13 Мидраш: Pesikta DeRav Kahana, Midrash Tanchuma, Midrash Tanchuma Buber & Vayikra Rabbah

Rabbi Yonah of Botzrah opened: "When God judges, this one He brings low, and that one He raises up" (Ps. 75:8). A matrona inquired of Rabbi Yosei bar Chalafta. She said to him, "In how many days did the Holy One Blessed be He create the universe?" He said to her, "In six days, as it is written, 'For in six days Hashem created, etc.' (Ex. 31:17)." She said to him, "And what has He been sitting and doing from that time?" He said to her, "Matchmaking couples -- the daughter of so-and-so to so-and-so, the wife of so-and-so to so-and-so, the property of so-and-so to so-and-so." She said, "Is that all? Even I am able to do that. I have many slaves and many maidservants, yet in a very short time (sha'ah kalah) I can match them all up." He said to her, "This may appear easy (kalah) in your eyes, but before the Holy One Blessed be He, it is as difficult as parting the Sea of Reeds." Rabbi Yosei bar Chalafta took leave of her, and he went on his way. What did she do? She took a thousand slaves and a thousand maidservants, and stood them in row after row, and said, "This man shall marry this woman, this woman shall marry this man," and thus she matched them all up in one night. In the morning she came to them. This one's head was wounded, that one's eye was knocked out, and another's leg was broken. This one said, "I don't want her as a wife," and that one said, "I don't want him [as a husband]." She sent [a messenger] and had Rabbi Yosei bar Chalafta brought to her. She said to him, "Truly, your (pl.) Torah is fine and praiseworthy. Regarding everything that you said to me, you spoke well." He said to her, "And did I not say thus to you -- 'This may appear easy in your eyes, but before the Holy One Blessed be He, it is as difficult as parting the Sea of Reeds'? What does the Holy One Blessed be He do? He matches them against their will and not to their liking (i.e., He knows what's best for couples even if they don't yet realize it themselves). Thus it is written, 'God settles individuals in a home; He removes prisoners bakosharot^*בכושרות, typically translated as "into prosperity".' What is 'bakosharot'? With crying (bechi) and singing (shirot)." Said Rabbi Berachya, [rather,] in this language, Rabbi Yosei bar Chalfta responded to her (i.e., to the question of what God has been doing since the Creation): "The Holy One Blessed be He sits and makes ladders. He causes this one to ascend, and that one to descend -- 'This one He brings low, and that one raises up' (Ps. 75:8)." Rabbi Yonah of Botrzrah and our Rabbis: Our Rabbis interpret that verse as referring to Aaron. With the word "this" (hazeh) he was brought low: "And I cast it into the fire and this (hazeh) calf emerged" (Ex. 32:24). And with the word "this" he was raised up: "This (zeh) is the offering of Aaron and his sons" (Lev. 6:13). Rabbi Yonah of Botzrah interprets that verse as referring to Israel. With the word "this" they were brought low, and with the word "this" they were raised up: With the word "this" they were brought low -- "For this (zeh) man Moses[, who brought us up from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him]" (Ex. 32:1). And with the word "this" they were raised up -- "[When you take a census [etc.],] this (zeh) they shall give [... half a shekel as an elevation-offering to Hashem]" (Ex. 30:12-13).

R. Jonah of Bozrah and the rabbis disagreed concerning the meaning of this verse. The rabbis maintained that it refers to Aaron. Because of the word this (in the preceding verse) he was humbled, as it is said: And I cast it into the fire, and there came out this calf (Exod. 32:24), and because of the word this he was exalted, as is said: This is the offering of Aaron and of his sons (Lev. 6:13). R.Jonah, however, was of the opinion that this verse refers to Israel: With the word this they debased themselves, and with the word this they exalted themselves. With the word this they debased themselves in saying: As for this man Moses (Exod. 32:1), and with the word this they exalted themselves, as it is said: This they shall give (ibid. 30:13). Scripture states elsewhere: Righteousness exalteth a nation; but sin is a reproach to any people (Prov. 14:34). R. Joshua said: Righteousness exalteth a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people is indicated by the fact that when Israel sinned, the nations of the world turned against them and enslaved them.

(Exod. 30:12): WHEN YOU TAKE A CENSUS <…, EACH SHALL GIVE A RANSOM FOR HIS LIFE…,> SO THAT NO PLAGUE COME UPON THEM. When Moses heard this, he was afraid, and said (as Job. 2:4): SKIN FOR SKIN! ALL THAT ONE HAS HE WILL GIVE FOR HIS LIFE.¹⁸Tanh., Exod. 9:11; cf. below, Numb. 2:19. R. Judah b. R. Il'ay said: Moses said: We have already found that a ransom for a person's life is a talent of silver. It is so stated (in I Kings 20:39): IT WILL BE YOUR LIFE FOR HIS LIFE OR YOU WILL PAY A TALENT [OF SILVER]. R. Johanan said: From whom did he learn <about the ransom >? From the one who commits libel. Thus it is stated (concerning the man who commits libel against his virgin bride in Deut. 22:19): AND THEY SHALL FINE HIM A HUNDRED <SHEKELS OF> SILVER. Now we have committed libel against the Holy One¹⁹PR 10:12. and said (of the golden calf in Exod. 32:4): THIS IS YOUR GOD, O ISRAEL. <Therefore,> each and every one of us must give a hundred <shekels> of silver. Resh Laqish said: Moses learned <about the ransom> from <the law concerning > the rapist. It is written (concerning the rapist in Deut. 22:29): THE MAN WHO LAY WITH HER SHALL GIVE [TO THE YOUNG WOMAN'S FATHER FIFTY <SHEKELS OF> SILVER]. Now we have raped the <divine> word. Thus it is written (in Exod. 20:3): YOU SHALL HAVE NO [OTHER GODS] <BESIDES ME>; and we have committed idolatry. <Therefore,> each and every one of us must give fifty < shekels of> silver. R. Judah bar Simon said: Moses learned from <the law concerning> a goring bull, since it is stated (in Exod. 21:32): IF A BULL GORES A MALE [OR FEMALE] SLAVE, [HE SHALL GIVE THIRTY SHEKELS OF SILVER TO THE MASTER]. Now we have exchanged his glory for a bull. It is so stated (in Ps. 106:20): THUS THEY EXCHANGED THEIR GLORY FOR THE IMAGE OF A BULL. Does every one of us have to give thirty shekels? The Holy One knew what was in Moses' heart. He said to him: By your life, <the ransom will be> not a talent of silver, not a hundred < shekels of> silver, not fifty shekels of silver, and not thirty shekels, but (as in Exod. 30:13): <EVERYONE WHO IS ENTERED IN THE RECORDS > SHALL GIVE THIS: <A HALF SHEKEL >.