DEUT1035 After the guest has finished his meal, the host must accompany him on his way. Chazal have ascribed very great value to this mitzvah, declaring (Sotah 46b) that it carries reward without limit. They have also expounded [this] verse in this way: "Can it enter our minds that the elders of the Beth Din shed blood?--They meant to say 'We did not see him and dismiss him without food, and we did not leave him without an escort.'" Chazal have further asserted that if a person accompanies someone setting out on a journey a distance of four cubits, the traveler will come to no harm. Hence whoever fails to escort him it is like one who sheds blood. The community may compel individuals to escort travelers, just as it may force individuals to contribute to charity. Especially is this important when the guest does not know the way, and there are many forks and crossroads ahead. Then it is a great mitzvah to accompany the traveler and show him the way, or at least to give him such precise directions that he makes no mistake.