Chapter 59: 7-9
Shehecheyonu and Hatov V'hameitiv
7. A person should recite the blessing shehecheyonu when he builds or buys
a house or when he buys important articles* or garments whose purchase
brings him happiness. This applies even if he had previously possessed
articles of this nature, as long as he never possessed this particular
article. (This blessing is not recited when one repurchases an article
which he had previously sold.)
* {With regard to commonplace pieces of clothing, see Law 12. In his Piskei
Siddur, Rav Shneur Zalman of Liadi writes that it is not customary to
recite the blessing shehecheyonu for the purchase of any articles aside
from a house and important clothing.}
The blessing should be recited when he purchases the house or article, or
when he has completed building it, even though he has not used it as yet,*
for the blessing is recited only for the feelings of joy in a person's
heart experienced at the time of purchase.
* {However, if the article or clothing is not fit to be used at the time of
purchase, the blessing should be recited when it is first used (Rav Shnuer
Zalman of Liadi, Piskei Siddur, Mishnoh B'rurah 223:17).}
8. When one put on a [new] garment, one should recite the blessing malbish
arumim. This blessing should be recited when one puts on the new garment,
even in one had already recited it in the morning. However, if the person
wore the new garment in the morning [when he recited the morning
blessings], the obligation to recite the blessing for the new garment was
fulfilled when the blessing was recited at that time.
Some authorities maintain that a person who buys a new hat should recite
the blessing oter Yisroel b'sif'oroh when he places it on his head, and
that on who buys a belt should recite the blessing ozer Yisroel big'vuroh
[when he wears it for the first time]. Others object to the recitation of
these blessings. Hence, it is proper to wear such articles for the first
time in the morning and have them in mind when reciting the morning blessings.
A person who buys a tallis should recite the blessing shehecheyonu after
putting tzitzis upon it. If he did not recite the blessing at that time, he
should recite it the first time he wraps himself in the tallis, after
reciting the blessing l'hisateif batzitzis.
9. A person who buys a new articles which will be used by the members of his
household as well as himself should recite the blessing hatov v'hameitiv.*
* {The same blessing should be recited when one buys articles or clothing
to be used solely by the members of one's household, but not by oneself
(Mishnoh B'rurah 223:19).}
