When Shevet Reuven spotted the land east of the Jordan River, the decision seemed obvious — the terrain was perfect, the opportunity was right there, and the logic was airtight. A good deal, clearly. But a Midrash in Bereishit Rabbah traces that moment of obvious decision-making all the way back to something a child did in a field centuries earlier — and suggests the two moments are more connected than they appear. This week, we explore what that connection reveals about one of the most common traps in human decision-making: the assumption that because something is available and accessible, it must be right for us.

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