Shehecheyanu on new Tzitzis

Question: Does one say shehecheyanu when buying a new tallis or tzitzis?

Answer: The Shulchan Aruch (OC 22:1) writes that one should recite the beracha of shehecheyanu when buying a new tallis just as one would for any other new clothes. The Mishna Berura (22:1) notes that the tallis needs to be ready to wear. Thus, if the tzitzis have not yet been attached to the begged,, one should wait to say shehecheyanu. The Rema adds that if one did not recite the beracha when buying the tallis then one should do so when first wearing it.

Nonetheless, the minhag is to wait to recite shehecheyanu until wearing the new clothes. The Kaf Hachaim (OC 22:6) suggests that this is because nowadays people often return clothing or pass it on to others (see Piskei Teshuvos 22:1; 223:7).

The Kitzur Shulchan Aruch (59:8), Ben Ish Chai (Bereishis 1:7) and Mishna Berura (22:3) write that one should recite the beracha on one’s tallis before reciting shehecheyanu (see Shaar Hatziyun 22:12).

However, the Shulchan Aruch Harav (OC 22:1) and Baer Heitiv (22:2) write that one should recite the beracha of shehecheyanu before one says the beracha on his tallis. R’ Yaakov Kamenetsky (Emes L’yaakov OC 22:n25) and R’ Shlomo Zalman Auerbach (Halichos Shlomo, Tefilla 3:13) concur, asking why the Mishna Berura (225:11) writes that one says shehecheyanu before haeitz when eating a new fruit.

R’ Moshe Feinstein (Igros Moshe OC 3:80) writes that as one does not typically consider a regular pair of tzitzis (begged kattan) to be significant, one does not recite shehecheyanu on a new pair (see Halichos Shlomo, Tefilla 3:n47).

In conclusion, one does not recite shehecheyanu upon buying a regular pair of tzitzis but one does so with a new tallis. One should wait until he wears it for the first time, and recite shehecheyanu before saying the beracha on the tallis.