18. The mitzvah of accompanying guests on their way (and showing them the way so they do not get lost) is considered even more important than the mitzvah of welcoming them. Moreover, someone who fails to accompany guests out of laziness is likened to a murderer. In the past, the beit din appointed people to help travelers leave town in the right direction and provide them with a minimal supply of food for the journey. This mitzvah primarily concerns people unfamiliar with the area.
It is customary for a teacher to accompany his student to the edge of town, where the buildings and homes end. A student accompanies his teacher for a distance of one parsah (approximately 4000 meters). If the teacher is a renowned Torah scholar, the distance is three parsaot. For friends, the specified distance is 2000 amot (approximately 1000 meters).
There is an opinion that the above applied mainly in times when there were no road signs and the like, and someone who became lost could find himself in danger. But even today, when there are signs with street names and house numbers everywhere and finding one’s destination presents no particular difficulty, it is customary to accompany a guest to the gate or walk with him for at least 4 amot (approximately 2 meters).
Once, a fire broke out in the home of one of the wealthiest men in Vilnius. Everyone knew that this man always welcomed guests warmly, so they were all very surprised. Some decided to ask the Vilna Gaon why the wealthy man’s good deeds had not protected him from the fire. The Gaon replied: “This man gave everyone food and drink, but he never accompanied his guests on their way.” ESHeL* is an acronym formed from three words: achilah (food), shetiyah (drink), and levayah (the mitzvah of accompanying guests on their way). But in his case, only the letters “aleph” and “shin” remained, which together form the word “esh” (fire). So this mitzvah could not protect him from fire.