After Adam and Chava ate from the eitz hadaas, the passuk states (Bereishis 3:7): “The eyes of both of them were opened and they realized that they were naked. They sewed together fig leaves and made for themselves loincloths.” Therefore, after thanking Hashem in the brachah of Pokeach Ivrim for the opening of the eyes, which led to the realization of the need for clothing, we then thank Him for the clothing that He has given us with this brachah (Peirush Siddur Hatefillah L’Rokeach p. 12).
To explain the passuk (Devarim 13:5): “Acharei Hashem Elokeichem telechu,” Chazal cite the Gemara (Sotah 14a): “Follow the middos of HaKadosh Baruch Hu – just like He is a Malbish Arumim as it says (Bereishis 3:21): ‘And Hashem Elokim made for Adam and his wife leather coats and He clothed them,’ you should also dress those who are unclad.” These words of Chazal are the basis upon which they instituted that we bless Hashem each morning for being a ‘Malbish Arumim’ (Avudraham Seder Hashkamas Haboker Ubirchos Hashachar).
The Favor That We Thank for in This Brachah
In this brachah, we thank HaKadosh Baruch Hu for instilling within us the wisdom to prepare clothing for ourselves (Rabbeinu Manoach Tefillah 7 4). We also thank for the fact that we are able to derive benefit and pleasure from our clothes, unlike Dovid Hamelech, who did not enjoy his clothes at the end of his life. The passuk states (Melachim I 1:1): “And King Dovid was old in his days, and they covered him with clothes and he did not get warm” (Siddur Ohr Hachamah, p. 17).
The Olas Tamid (Chapter 9) writes in the explanation for this brachah: “Malbish Arumim is gratitude to Hashem for the clothes that He provides for a person. And you should feel on an individual level how Hashem provided for you all the garments that you need. In the winter, give thanks to Him specifically for the warm clothes and a thick outer garment that He provides for you.” Aside from the garment’s purpose in keeping one warm and modest, another benefit is that it contributes to a person’s dignity and honor. We find that Rabi Yochanan called his clothing “mechabdosai”, those that honor me (Chulin 94a), because the garment dignifies the wearer. Likewise, we find that Chazal obligated us to wear more respectable clothing on Shabbos than during the week as a way of honoring Shabbos (Shabbos 113a). The Olas Tamid writes (ibid) that on Shabbos and Yom Tov one should have in mind when saying this brachah to thank Hashem for giving us the possibility of designating special clothing for Shabbos and Yom Tov. We can also thank Hashem in this brachah for having a sufficient variety of clothing to be able to change, and that we do not need to be like the members of Reb Yehuda Bar Ila’i’s generation, about which the Gemara relates (Sanhedrin 20a) that they could not buy themselves an outer garment to go out in public with, so six of them purchased one garment together and used it each for a set time (Nefesh Shimshon, Siddur Hatefillah, p. 121)
A Brachah for Spiritual Clothing
Another kavanah for this brachah is brought down in the name of the Ari Hakadosh, (Shaar Hakavanos Drushei Birchos Hashachar): Sinning causes the garment of holiness to be stripped from the soul of the sinner, and it is replaced with impure cladding. To what extent this occurs depends on the level of the sin. With a serious transgression, the entire spiritual cladding is shed, while with a minor sin, it will only be weakened but not entirely removed. The two brachos of Malbish Arumim and Hanosein Layae’if Koach were instituted to correspond to these two levels. Every person entrusts his soul at night to his Creator: The one whose spiritual garments have been completely stripped is given a new garment for his soul in the morning. Therefore, he recites Malbish Arumim. Someone whose spiritual garments have only weakened needs so strengthen his spiritual clothing and that is why he says “Hanosein Layae’if koach”. The author of Seder Hayom (Seder Birchos Hashachar) explains that we thank Hashem in this brachah for our spiritual garments, and he writes: “And He dressed those that were naked to dress us in bigdei yesha, the faith in His Torah, and may it be that we never deviate from our emunah all our lives and He should remove from us the soiled garments – bad thoughts or difficult musings, and we should follow Him with pleasant and clean clothes so that Hashem should not distance us from Him.”
Malbish or Hamalbish
The Acharonim differ on the wording of this brachah: The Sdei Chemed (Pe’as Hasadeh Clalim Maareches Habayis, 37) writes that one should recite “Hamalbish arumim” – with the hey at the beginning. He bases his words on the Tosafos (Brachos 38b, beginning with ‘vehilchesa’) in the name of the Yerushalmi that the reason it was instituted to say “Hamotzi lechem…” and not “Motzi lechem…” is so that the one making the brachah should not swallow the “mem” at the end of the word “ha’olam” with the “mem” that begins the word after it “motzi.” Doing so would making them sound like one word: “Ha’olamotzi.” In this brachah as well, we must say “Hamalbish Arumim” so that the letters should not get swallowed together and it won’t sound like we are saying “ha’olamalbish.” But the Shu”t She’ilas Yaakov (Vol. I, 98, 13) writes that one should not be concerned about swallowing the letters. He notes that in the brachah of Hamotzi referred to by the Yerushalmi it happens because a person is anxious to begin eating the bread so he might hurry and then combine the two words. But in Birchos Hashachar it should not be concern that he will swallow letters, and therefore, it is correct to make the brachah as it appears in the siddurim, “Malbish Arumim.” [עלון בני אמונים]
