The Man Who Showed the Way In and Founded Deathless Luz

"And the watchers saw a man coming out of the city" (Judges 1:24). Rabbi Meir used to say: one compels a person to escort a departing guest, for the reward of escorting has no fixed measure, as it is said, "And the watchers saw a man coming out of the city, and they said to him: Show us, we pray, the entrance to the city, and we will deal kindly with you," and it is written, "And he showed them the entrance to the city" (Judges 1:24-25). How did he show them? Hezekiah said: he twisted his mouth toward it for them. But Rabbi Yochanan said: he pointed it out with his finger; and a baraita was taught in accordance with Rabbi Yochanan. And what kindness did they do for him? That whole city they put to the sword, but that man and his family they sent away. "And the man went to the land of the Hittites and built a city and called its name Luz; that is its name to this day" (Judges 1:26). It was taught: this is the Luz where they dye sky-blue [tekhelet]. This is the Luz that Sennacherib came and did not throw into confusion, that Nebuchadnezzar came and did not destroy. And even the Angel of Death has no permission within it; rather, when its elders grow weary of life, they go outside the wall and there they die. Now is this not an argument from the lesser to the greater [a fortiori]? If this Canaanite, who neither spoke with his mouth nor walked with his feet, brought about deliverance for himself and his offspring to the end of all generations, then one who performs the escorting of a guest fully, with his mouth and his feet, how much more so! Rabbi Joshua said: whoever walks on the road and has no one to escort him should occupy himself with Torah, as it is said, "For they shall be a graceful garland [livyat chen, also "escort of grace"] for your head" (Proverbs 1:9).