One of the Berachot we recite each morning as part of Birkot Ha'shahar is "Malbish Arumim," with which we express gratitude to Hashem for the gift of clothing. The clothing that we wear protects us from the elements, and maintains our dignity. As such, it is a precious gift that we must never take for granted, and the Sages therefore instituted a special blessing to thank G-d for the garments that we are privileged to wear in the morning. The literal meaning of the words "Malbish Arumim" is "who clothes the naked." Grammatically, the letter Mem has a "Dagesh" (a dot for emphasis), such that it is to be pronounced as a strong "m," as opposed to a Mem without a "Dagesh" which is pronounced as a softer "m." One should pronounce the word properly, with a "Dagesh" in the Mem, because the word "Arumim" with a soft Mem, without a "Dagesh," means "clever people." It would thus sound as though G-d provides clothing only to the wise, which is, of course, not true. We want to emphasize that Hashem provides clothing to all His creatures, and so we must ensure to recite the word "Arumim" correctly. In several sources, the text of this Beracha is "Malbish Ha'arumim" (as opposed to "Malbish Arumim," without "Ha-"). This is the text found in Sha'ar Ha'kavanot (by Rav Haim Vital, 1542-1620), and this was the view also of Rav Haim Palachi (Turkey, 1788-1868). The Sedeh Hemed (Rav Haim Hizkiya Medini, 1834-1904) writes that he taught his students to recite this text. The reason given is that if one recites, "Baruch Ata…Melech Ha'olam Malbish Arumim," he might pronounce the words "Ha'olam" and "Malbish" as one long word. Since the word "Ha'olam" ends with a Mem, and the word "Malbish" begins with a Mem, a separation must be made to avoid combining them into a single long word that has no meaning. This problem is avoided by adding the prefix "Ha-" before "Malbish." (Some also suggest proving this text from a phrase in the Book of Shmuel II 1:24.) Nevertheless, the common custom is to recite "Malbish," and not "Ha'malbish," and this is the text that appears in the ancient Siddur of Rav Amram Gaon (Babylonia, 810-875). Another Beracha which we recite each morning is "Ha'noten La'ya'ef Koah," thanking Hashem for "giving strength to the weary." G-d created our bodies with the ability to rejuvenate itself through sleep, such that we can regain our strength and energy, and so we thank Him each morning for granting us the physical strength we need to function. Interestingly enough, this Beracha appears nowhere in the Gemara. When the Gemara lists the blessings that one should make in the morning, it makes no mention of "Ha'noten La'ya'ef Koah." Therefore, the Shulhan Aruch (Orah Haim 46) writes that the custom to recite this Beracha is incorrect, as we do not have the authority to introduce new Berachot that the Sages in the Talmud did not institute. This Beracha does not appear in Rav Amram Gaon's Siddur, either. The question thus arises as to why the widespread practice is to recite this Beracha, which does not appear anywhere in the Talmud, and which the Shulhan Aruch thus opposed. The Hida (Rav Haim Yosef David Azulai, 1724-1806) writes that although the Shulhan Aruch opposed reciting this Beracha, the Arizal maintained that this Beracha should be said. In the view of the Hida, the teachings of the Arizal are authoritative and binding, even when they conflict with the rulings of the Shulhan Aruch. The Hida even speculates that if the Shulhan Aruch had been aware of the Arizal's teaching, requiring the recitation of this Beracha, he would have concurred. This is the position taken also by the Ben Ish Hai (Rav Yosef Haim of Baghdad, 1833-1909) – that we must always follow the Arizal's opinions, regardless of which and how many Rabbis rule differently. Hacham Ovadia Yosef does not accept this approach. In his view, the Arizal's opinions are not necessarily more authoritative than those of other Poskim. And in the case of "Ha'noten La'ya'ef Koah," Hacham Ovadia notes, the Ashkenazim also recite this Beracha, even though they do not always follow the Arizal's teachings. Hacham Ovadia therefore gives a different explanation for the widespread practice to recite this Beracha. He shows that this Beracha appears in early sources – such as in Mahzor Vitri, and in the writings of Rav David Abudarham (Spain, 14 th century), and the Tur (Rabbenu Yaakob Ben Asher, 1270-1340) – indicating that this practice earned widespread acceptance well before the Shulhan Aruch. And when there is an accepted Minhag (custom), Hacham Ovadia writes, we follow the custom even if it runs counter to the ruling of the Shulhan Aruch. Rav Haim Vital cites the Arizal as explaining the deeper meaning underlying the two Berachot we have been discussing – "Malbish Arumim" and "Ha'noten La'ya'ef Koah." The Arizal taught that our sins have the effect of removing, or tearing, the "garments" that cover our souls. The missing garment, or the missing portion of the garment, is replaced by the "Kelipot" – harmful spiritual energies. A relatively minor sin wears out this "garment," whereas a grievous sin causes the garment to be removed entirely. When a person goes to sleep at night, his soul ascends to the heavens, where Hashem, in His infinite mercy and kindness, "repairs" the damaged "garment" for us, so we will not be subject to the harmful effects of the "Kelipot." When our souls are restored in the morning, they are newly clean and pristine. The Arizal taught that the two Berachot of "Malbish Arumim" and "Ha'noten La'ya'ef Koah" thank Hashem for this precious gift. The Beracha of "Malbish Arumim" refers to the new "garments" that Hashem grants to those who had committed severe sins which caused the complete loss of their soul's "garment." The Beracha of "Ha'noten La'ya'ef Koah" speaks of the "weary" souls, those which had been tainted by minor transgressions, and whose garments thus needed "mending." These two blessings, then, thank Hashem for His mercifully cleansing and repairing our souls each and every night. In light of this teaching of the Arizal, some have suggested that we should reverse the order, and recite "Ha'noten La'ya'ef Koah" before "Malbish Arumim." After all, once we thank Hashem for replacing a lost "garment," this encompasses also His repairing the damaged "garments." Common practice, however, is to first recite "Malbish Arumim." These Berachot thank Hashem not for our personal experience of these phenomena, but rather for the phenomena themselves, for the fact that Hashem has made them part of the natural order. As such, the sequence of these blessings is not important, as both the replacement of lost spiritual "garments" and the repair of the damaged "garments" occur regularly, warranting our expression of praise and gratitude to the Almighty.