| http://www.torah.org/advanced/mishna-berura/S22.html |
22.1: (1) If one bought a talis and put tzitzis on it, he blesses "Who has kept us alive [and preserved us and brought us to this time]", (2) as the talis is not inferior to new clothes [on which one says this blessing]. {RAMAH: And if he did not say this blessing when he put the tzitzis on the talis, then he says it (3) when he wraps himself in it for the first time.
MB 1: If one bought a talis, etc. - Do not object that on new clothes one needs to bless when he _buys_ the clothing, so why then did the Shulhan Aruch write "and put tzitzis on it"? Our answer is that only when one buys a garment which is fitting to wear as it is, then he blesses immediately, but if he bought fabric in order to make clothing from it, then he should not say this blessing even after it is ready, but only when he puts it on [for the first time]. This is true because we require a distinct, well-defined time [of event or action] - either the time of purchase or that of first wearing [vs. when he finishes preparing a garment, which is the end of a process spread over a period of time, but is not itself an action]. Here, the talis is not fit to wear immediately because he still must put tzitzis on it, so he cannot say this blessing on it at the time of purchase. In order to comply also with the opinion of those who say that one should bless "Who has kept us alive" when he does a mitzvah for the first time, he should bless when he attaches the tzitzis and not wait until he first puts it on.
Siman 22
. [No Title]