Giv'on

The story of the Giv'onim in Yehoshua ch. 9 has a certain bizarre aspect to it. The people are suspicious about the origins of the Giv'onim, and are hesitant to make any treaty with them, but Yehoshua and the nesi'ei ha-edah, the leaders of the generation, are the ones who make the mistake. Maybe the lesson to be learned is that the leaders should trust the instincts of their followers, and think twice before exerting their power to go over the heads of the populace.