The Rabbenu Bachya explains that if we take the first letters of the shevatim excluding Levi, using Yosef, multiplying it by a thousand, e.g. Reuven 200, 200,000 and Shimon 300, 300,000 and so
on, accumulating it, will add up to 597,000 which is 3,000 less than 600,000 that were killed by the Eigel.
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