Midrasch zu Mischlej 30:10

“Do not look at me that I am dark, that the sun has tanned me. My mother’s sons were incensed at me; they placed me as guard of the vineyards; I did not guard my own vineyard” (Song of Songs 1:6).
“Do not look at me that I am dark.” Rabbi Simon began: “Do not slander a servant to his master” (Proverbs 30:10). Israel were called servants, as it is stated: “For the children of Israel are servants to Me” (Leviticus 25:55), and the prophets were called servants, as it is stated: “Unless He has revealed His secret to His servants, the prophets” (Amos 3:7). So said the congregation of Israel to the prophets: ‘Do not see me in my darkness.’²⁰¹Even when Israel is guilty, the prophet must not demean them because of their sins. There is none who rejoiced more in my sons than Moses, and because he said: “Hear me now, defiant ones” (Numbers 20:10), it was decreed upon him that he would not enter the land.
Another matter, there is none who rejoiced more in my sons than Isaiah, but because he said: “I live in the midst of a people with impure lips” (Isaiah 6:5), the Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘Isaiah, you are permitted to say about yourself: “For I am a man with impure lips” (Isaiah 6:5), that is fine; perhaps [you think it is acceptable to also say] “I live in the midst of a people with impure lips”? I am astonished! Come see what is written there: “One of the seraphim flew to me and in his hand a coal [ritzpa]”’ (Isaiah 6:6). Rav Shmuel said: Ritzpa [is a conjunction of the words] rotz peh, smash the mouth of one who slandered My children.
It is written similarly in Elijah’s regard, as it is stated: “He said: I have been zealous for the Lord, God of hosts, for the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant; [they have destroyed Your altars and killed Your prophets by sword. I alone remain and they have sought my life, to take it]” (I Kings 19:14). The Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘My covenant; is it perhaps your covenant?’²⁰²Why are you so zealous toward Israel? Is it your covenant they have forsaken? “They have destroyed Your altars,” He said to him: ‘My altars; are they perhaps your altars?’ “And killed Your prophets by sword,” He said to him: ‘My prophets; why do you care?’ “I alone remain and they have sought my life, to take it.” Come, see what is written there? “He looked and behold, near his head, a cake baked on coals [retzafim]” (I Kings 19:6). What are retzafim? Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman said: Ritzpa, rotz peh, smash the mouth of anyone who slandered My children.
Rabbi Yoḥanan cites it from this: “A prophecy of Damascus: Behold, Damascus…. Abandoned are the cities of Aroer” (Isaiah 17:1–2). Why is he standing in Damascus and mentioning Aroer? Is Aroer not within the boundaries of the land of Moav?²⁰³It is strange that the prophet mentions Aroer, a Moavite city, in a prophecy about Damascus, which was in the kingdom of Aram. Rather, there were three hundred and sixty-five houses of idol worship in Damascus, corresponding to the days of the solar year, and they would worship in each and every one of them on its day. They had one day when they would visit all of them on that day and worship them [all]. Israel made all [the idols] jointly sovereign over them and worshipped them, as it is stated: “The children of Israel continued to do evil in the eyes of the Lord, and they served the Be'alim [and the Ashtarot, and the gods of Aram, and the gods of Sidon, and the gods of Moav, and the gods of the children of Amon, and the gods of the Philistines]” (Judges 10:6). When Elijah slandered Israel, the Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘Elijah, instead of indicting these, come and indict those.’ That is what is written: “Go, return on your path to the wilderness of Damascus” (I Kings 19:15).²⁰⁴God indicated to Elijah that he should speak in an accusatory manner regarding Damascus rather than regarding Israel.
Rabbi Abahu and Reish Lakish were entering one of the neighborhoods of Caesarea. Rabbi Abahu said to Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish: ‘Why is it that we have entered into a neighborhood of cursers and blasphemers?’ Reish Lakish dismounted from his donkey and collected sand and placed it in [Rabbi Abahu’s] mouth. [Rabbi Abahu] said to him: ‘Why did you do that?’ He said to [Rabbi Abahu]: ‘The Holy One blessed be He does not want one who slanders Israel.’