Midrasch zu Schemot 15:24

… it is written there “Behold the heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain You…” (Melachim I 8:27) and here it is written “…the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle.” (Shemot 40:35) R’ Yehoshua of Sachnin said in the name of R’ Levi ‘to what is this likened? To an open cave at the edge of the sea. When the sea storms the cave is filled, but the sea is not reduced. So too, even though it is written that ‘the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle’ the upper and lower worlds did not lose anything of the brilliance of the glory of the Holy One, just as it is written “Do I not fill the heavens and the earth? says the Lord.” (Yirmiyahu 23:24) Therefore it is written here ‘And it was’. Just as the Divine Presence was here below at the beginning of the creation of the world but withdrew to above, now it returned to be below as it had been “And it was that on the day that Moses finished…” (Bamidbar 7:1) ... [Another explanation. “And it was that on the day that Moses finished erecting the Mishkan…” (Numbers 7:1)] R’ Simon said: at the time when the Holy One told Israel to erect the Tabernacle, He hinted that when the Tabernacle below is erected, the Tabernacle above is erected, as it says “And it was that on the day that Moses finished…” (ibid.) It does not say ‘erecting the Tabernacle’ but rather ‘erecting this (et) the Tabernacle.’ This refers to the Tabernacle above. The Holy One said: in this world, when the Tabernacle was erected, I commanded Aharon and his sons that they bless you. In the time to come I, in my glory, will bless you. So it is written “May the Lord bless you from Zion, He Who made heaven and earth.” (Psalms 134:3)

“I am black but lovely, daughters of Jerusalem, like the tents of Kedar, like the curtains of Solomon” (Song of Songs 1:5).
“I am black but lovely,” black in terms of my actions but lovely in terms of the actions of my ancestors. “I am black but lovely,” the congregation of Israel said: I am black in terms of myself,¹⁸⁸I acknowledge my sins and demand of myself that I improve in my service of God (Maharzu). and am, therefore, lovely before my Creator, as it is written: “Are you not like Kushites to Me, children of Israel [– the utterance of the Lord]” (Amos 9:7), you are like Kushites in terms of yourselves, but to Me you are the children of Israel – the utterance of the Lord.
Another matter, I was black in Egypt and I was lovely in Egypt. I was black in Egypt; “they defied Me and were unwilling to heed Me” (Ezekiel 20:8). I was lovely in Egypt, with the blood of the Paschal offering and the blood of circumcision, as it is written: “I passed you, and I saw you wallowing in your blood, and I said to you: In your blood, you shall live” (Ezekiel 16:6); this is the blood of the Paschal offering; “I said to you: In your blood, you shall live” (Ezekiel 16:6); this is the blood of circumcision.
Another matter, I was black at the sea, as it is stated: “They rebelled at the sea, at the Red Sea” (Psalms 106:7). And I was lovely at the sea, as it is stated: “This is my God and I will glorify Him” (Exodus 15:2). I was black at Mara, as it is stated: “The people complained against Moses, saying: What will we drink?” (Exodus 15:24). And I was lovely at Mara, as it is stated: “He cried to the Lord and the Lord showed him a tree and he cast it into the water and the waters were sweetened” (Exodus 15:25). I was black in Refidim, as it is stated: “He called the name of the place Masa and Meriva” (Exodus 17:7).¹⁸⁹Masa and Meriva literally translate to “trial” and “dispute.” And I was lovely in Refidim, as it is stated: “Moses built an altar, and he called its name: The Lord is my banner” (Exodus 17:15). I was black at Ḥorev, as it is stated: “They crafted a calf at Ḥorev” (Psalms 106:19). And I was lovely at Ḥorev, as it is stated: “Everything that the Lord stated we will perform and we will heed” (Exodus 24:7). I was black in the wilderness, as it is stated: “How much they defied Him in the wilderness” (Psalms 78:40). And I was lovely in the wilderness with the establishment of the Tabernacle, as it is stated: “On the day the Tabernacle was established” (Numbers 9:15). I was black with the scouts, as it is stated: “They issued a slanderous report” (Numbers 13:32). And I was lovely with Joshua and Caleb, as it is stated: “Except Caleb ben Yefuneh the Kenizite [and Joshua son of Nun]” (Numbers 32:12). I was black in Shitim, as it is stated: “Israel settled in Shitim [and the people began engaging in harlotry]” (Numbers 25:1). And I was lovely in Shitim, as it is stated: “Pinḥas stood and prayed” (Psalms 106:30). I was black regarding Akhan, as it is stated: “The children of Israel trespassed regarding the proscribed spoils” (Joshua 7:1). And I was lovely regarding Joshua, as it is stated: “Joshua said to Akhan: My son, please give honor [to the Lord, God of Israel]” (Joshua 7:19). I was black regarding the kings of Israel and I was lovely regarding the kings of Judah. If with the black that I had, I was lovely, among My prophets, all the more so.¹⁹⁰Many commentaries suggest that the text should read “lovely ones [na’im]” rather than “prophets [neviim]” (see, e.g., Maharzu; Etz Yosef). One interpretation of this statement is: If even at the places where I was black I was also lovely, how much more so in the places where I was not black.

[(Exod. 15:22, cont.:) THEY WENT THREE DAYS IN THE WILDERNESS AND FOUND NO WATER.] R. Joshua says: When Israel crossed through the sea, fresh water came forth for them. So they partook of it in their vessels and drank; but as soon as the water was finished, they complained, as stated (in Exod. 15:24): AND THE PEOPLE MURMURED AGAINST MOSES, < SAYING: WHAT SHALL WE DRINK?> WHEN (in vs. 23) THEY CAME TO MARAH, <THEY COULD NOT DRINK THE WATER OF MARAH BECAUSE IT WAS BITTER (Marim). FOR THAT REASON ITS NAME WAS CALLED MARAH.> They should have consulted with the greatest one among them; but they arose and complained.⁶⁰Mekhilta de Rabbi Ishmael, Wayassa‘ 1. R. Eleazar of Modim says: Israel was accustomed to speaking words of complaint against the Holy One. Immediately (in Exod. 15:25:) <MOSES> CRIED UNTO THE LORD, AND THE LORD TAUGHT (wayyorehu) HIM A TREE. "Showed him (wayyar'ehu)" is not stated <here>, but TAUGHT HIM (wayyorehu). R. Simeon ben Johay said: He taught him [something] from the Torah, concerning which it is written (in Prov. 3:18) IT IS A TREE OF LIFE. The Holy One taught him (the living tree of Torah). Then he spoke over the water and it became fresh.

(Devarim 3:29) "And we stayed in the valley near Beth-Peor": He (Moses) said: See which sin I have sinned, how many supplications I uttered, and (still) it was not forgiven me. And you, how many sins you have sinned, yet the L-rd has said to you: "Repent and I will accept" (your penance). R. Yehudah b. Bava says: In three places Israel bordered upon grave transgression and the L-rd said to them "Repent and I will accept," viz. (Shemot 15:24) "And the people complained against Moses, saying 'What will we drink, etc.'" What is written there? (Ibid. 26) "And He said: If you hearken to the voice of the L-rd your G-d and you do what is just in His eyes, etc." Similarly, (Devarim 9:22) "And in Taveirah, and in Massah, and in Kivroth Hata'vah, you angered the L-rd, etc." What is written there? (Ibid. 10:12) "And now, O Israel, what does the L-rd your G-d ask of you, etc.?" Here, too, (Ibid. 3:29) "And we stayed in the valley near Beth-Peor, etc." … (Ibid. 4:1) "Give ear to the statutes and the judgments, etc."