Returning from the Trip

1. It is preferable to return from a journey while it is still day.

2. A married man who goes on an extended trip should bring his wife gifts upon his return1.

3. One should try to get an aliyah on the Shabbos following his return2.

4. Upon returning from a trip, one should not enter his home suddenly. He should notify his family members of his presence by either knocking or calling first3.

5. One should not enter his house from a trip while he is hungry. When one is hungry, he is very irritable and may become angry quickly at one of his family members4.

The Hebrew word for “escort” is לויה -- leviyah. There are a number of interesting hints found in this word as an acronym.

1) לויה is an acronym for לחיים ולשלום ילך האורח — “The guest should go towards life and peace.” Using the same word starting from the end gives the acronym המלוה ילך וישוב לחיים — “The escorter should go and return towards life.”

2) The letters of לויה (rearranged) form an acronym for ולא יתן המשחית לבא -- “He will not allow the destructive forces to come.”