The Torah, “Exodus,” 22, 25-26: If you take your neighbor’s garment as security, until sunset you should return it to him; for it is his only covering, it is his garment for his skin. With what shall he lie? And it shall be (that) if he cries out to Me, I will hear because I am gracious.

During the days when the Torah was written, clothes were very expensive, so people did most of the house chores naked so that the clothes would not wear out. Even two centuries ago clothes were passed down from a grandmother to her granddaughter, etc. In the region where the state of Israel is located today people used to wear clothes made of wool, which took a long time to make and lots of work: weaving the fabric, sewing, etc. Even today in Tunisian wool is very expensive.

In spirituality “attire” refers to a Masach (screen) that a person acquires. So if you borrow it you have to return it the same day since it is impossible to leave a person without a Masach for the night, which means in a state of darkness. It isn’t about the sunlight but about an internal state, when a person feels that he is in the dark or in the light.

In other words, as long as a person feels the Light that sustains him and performs a certain kind of work on him, you can borrow his Masach and work with it. But when he descends into the night, you have to return it to him.

Question: What does “what shall he lie” mean?

Answer: Surprisingly, in ancient times clothes were even more necessary during the night than during the day. According to the wisdom of Kabbalah, at “night” you have to be protected from the dark by a Masach. It’s because the spiritual attire is a kind of a Masach over the desire to receive, which thus acquires an intention of in order to bestow.
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From KabTV’s “Secrets of the Eternal Book” 5/27/13

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