The brachah of Matir Assurim was instituted based on the passuk (Tehillim 146:7): “Hashem matir assurim.” But its simple meaning is not gratitude that is offered by a prisoner who was set free. Rather, it is the gratitude that each and every person feels each day for being released from the bondage that is sleep. Because when one is sleeping, he does not control his limbs, and cannot move them freely, they are considered bound and imprisoned. Therefore, when one arises from his sleep, when the power to freely move his limbs is restored to him, he must thank his Creator for this. Before sleeping, we make the brachah: “Hamapil chevlei sheinah” – the ropes of sleep, and accordingly, when we arise we express our gratitude by saying “matir assurim.” This is for the fact that HaKadosh Baruch Hu “untied” the “ropes” of sleep that we were constricted by as long as we were asleep. (Peirush Hatefillos Vehabrachos LeR”Y Ben Yakar, Vol. II, p. 12)
Likewise, the Sefer Hachassidim writes (155): “When you open your eyes, you should take heart…As person who emerges from prison need to thank HaKadosh Baruch Hu, and there is no one who is more of a prisoner than one who is sleeping. We need to bless HaKadosh Baruch Hu for what we did not have the ability to do prior to this, and that is not having control over our body. And we bless Him for each and every limb that was bound, and that He has now opened so that we can do our needs with them.”
General Gratitude for Free Movement of the Limbs
The brachah of Matir Assurim creates an opportunity for us to introspect and to thank Hashem not only for renewing our ability to move our limbs in the morning but also for giving us the power to move our limbs at any given time. If we think about it, there are so many people who, tragically, do not have this wonderful ability. Even when they arise from sleep they remain imprisoned, unable to move a limb (Nefesh Shimshon on the Siddur Hatefillah, p. 122) Harav Moshe Cordovero (Tomer Devorah 1) further clarified an important point on this subject: Because HaKadosh Baruch Hu renews in the person each and every moment the power to move his limbs, when someone, chalilah, uses this power to rebel against Him and sin – this is most shameful and offensive! We see the Hashem’s tremendous middah of kindness and humility, as He tolerates our sins and continues to give life to our limbs even while we sin. He does not treat us the way He treated Yeravam ben Navat when he sought to harm a Navi send by Hashem to prophesize about the punishment about the Kohanei Beheimos – where his hand dried up (see Melachim I, 13:4). The author of Seder Hayom (Birchos Hashachar) explains that this brachah also refers to the person’s spiritual state. Therefore, a person must have kavanah in this request to ask that Hashem should take him out of the trap of the yetzer hara, who constantly wants to make him stumble and mire him in the desires of this world. As Dovid Hamelech asked (Tehillim 142:8): “Hotziah memasger nafshi lehodos es Shemecha, take me out of the prison of my heart to praise Your Name.” (See Toras Haminchah, Shemini Atzeres Drashah 86) This is the place to mention the renowned song of Rabbi Yehudah Halevi: “Avdei hazman avdei avadim heim, those who are slaves of times are slaves of slaves, while the Eved Hashem alone is free, and therefore, when every human asks for his share, chelki Hashem amrah nafshi, my soul has asked for my part to be with Hashem.” [עלון בני אמונים]
