The Gemara in Berachos (24b) teaches: היתה טליתו חגורה על מתניו מותר לקרות שמע – “One who has a garment covering himself from waist down may recite Kerias Shema”. Rashi explains, as long as one is covered from waist and down, even if his top half is naked, he may recite krias shema. The Gemara continues, that when it comes to tefillah one must cover his heart as well. Rashi explains: When one davens he must dress as if he is standing in front of a king, and stand in fear etc., however, for krias shema one doesn’t need to.
The Rambam (Hilchos Tefillah 4:7) writes:כיסוי הערוה כיצד אע"פ שכסה ערותו כדרך שמכסין לק"ש לא יתפלל עד שיכסה את לבו ואם לא כסה לבו או שנאנס ואין לו במה יכסה הואיל וכסה ערותו והתפלל יצא ולכתחילה לא יעשה - “How does one cover his ervah? Even if one covers himself the way one covers himself for Kerias Shema, he shouldn’t daven Shemonah Esrei until he covers his heart. If he doesn’t, or he is in situation where he can’t, if he covered his main ervah (from the waist down) and davened, he fulfills his duty, however, ideally one shouldn’t do this.”
The end of the Rambam: ולכתחילה לא יעשה – “ideally one shouldn’t do this” is very difficult, as the Rambam already said: לא יתפלל עד שיכסה את לב – “one shouldn’t daven Shemonah Esrei until he covers his heart”, what is the Rambam coming to add?
The Biur Halachah (91:1 d.h. yoitza) explains: The Rambam is teaching us that if one is in a situation where he doesn’t have what he needs to cover himself, it’s better that he doesn’t daven at all.
R’ Chaim Kanievsky (Ishei Yisroel 10:9) adds: This applies even if one will end up missing soif zman tefillah [the deadline for prayer]. By Kerias Shema there is room to be lenient if one covers himself from waist down, however, when it comes to tefillah there is no room for leniency, and one must cover his heart, if he can’t, he should refrain from davening.
However, the Aruch HaShulchan (91:4) argues and maintains, that under pressing circumstances one may daven Shemonah Esrei without covering the heart. This is also how the Kaf HaChaim rules, although he adds, if once can easily get hold of clothes he should.
The question is, what is the halachah when it comes to making berachos on food (birchas hanenin): Is it like Kerias Shema and if one is wearing just swimming trunks it’s ok, or is like Shemonah Esrei, and according to the Biur Halachah, just wearing swimming trunks is a problem?
The Shulchan Aruch and Practical Guidance
The Shulchan Aruch (206:3) regarding birchas hanenin rules, that one shouldn’t recite a berachah undressed, and one must cover his ervah. However, it’s not clear if it helps to be covered from waist down, or if one must cover his heart as well. However, in Hilchos Kerias Shema when the Shulchan Aruch rules that for shema it’s ok to be covered from waist down, the Mishnah Berurah comments that the above is only under pressing circumstances, however, ideally for Kerias Shema and all berachos one shouldn’t. From the Mishnah Berurah it’s clear, that when it comes to reciting berachos in general, one should ideally cover his heart.
Practically, one should try and cover himself from waist and up when making a berachah on food. As to how much, there is a Tevuas Shor (1:38) regarding Hilchos Shechitah who writes that one should cover himself from “his heart until his neck”, however, the poskim don’t bring this. However, certainly, one should either cover himself with a towel or put on a top before making a berachah. This is how R’ Elyashiv would pasken (see V’Zois HaBerachah 1:4).
Regarding Birchas Hamazon, R’ Shlomah Zalman Auerbach (Halichos Shlomah, Perek 2, He’orah 73) held that one shouldn’t recite it whilst only wearing swimming trunks. One should either cover himself properly, or get dressed first, as Birchas Hamazon is similar to Shemonah Esrei (as is clear from Orach Chaim 183:8).
