However, with regards to the second explanation that ‘Eishel’ means a guest house; the Rebbe MaHaRaSh explains the abbreviations that come from the word Eishel in a Maamor from the year 5630-1869. (Incidentally this Maamor has the same opening verse and is the basis for the RaShaB’s aforementioned Maamor from the year 5648- 1887 and was also printed and published in the same aforementioned book.)
In that Maamor it explains that the word Eishel which is itself an acronym for three words: Achilah, Shessiyah and Levoyoh that fall into one of two categories. Achilah – giving one’s guest to eat, Shessiyah – giving one’s guest to drink, and Levoyoh – escorting one’s guest and seeing him off. One category involves the internal activity of eating and drinking whilst the second category is more of an encompassing aspect which is the escorting that even when he goes outside he nevertheless still accompanies his guest in a manner of ‘Makif’ as the Possuk states ה׳ צִּלְךָ “HaShem is your shadow” that he accompanies him and guards him.
Avodas HaShem: Internal and Encompassing Activities
In a person’s Avodas HaShem, eating and the drinking symbolise the Avodah of Torah study and Mitzvah performance which are internal activities and the escorting is the Avodah of ‘Makifin’ - accompaniment. Additionally, in this acronym itself there are two different directions. According to one system the letter ‘ל’ of the word ‘Eishel’ stands for the word ‘לִּינָה’ which means to accommodate someone to sleep. This is also connected with a guest house or a home which although only symbolises an outer encompassment but it still an encompassment on the level of a house. Whereas according to the other system where the letter ‘ל’ of the word ‘Eishel’ stands for the word ‘לְוָיָה’ which means ‘to escort’ this is an encompassment of an encompassment. This is a matter of ה׳ צִּלְךָ “HaShem is your shadow” which is a unique encompassment that is needed to accommodate the external Avodah.
