הלכה על ברכות 1:5

The Men of the Great Assembly added two berakhot before and two after the recitation of Shema. The first, Ha-ma’ariv Aravim, praises God for the changing times. The second, Ahavat Olam, praises God for loving Israel and giving us the Torah. The third, Emet Ve-emuna, praises God as our Redeemer. In the fourth berakha, Hashkiveinu, we ask God to protect us at night and watch over us when we sleep. Hence, Birkhot Keri’at Shema are comprised of seven blessings, three in Shaḥarit and four in Ma’ariv. Y. Berakhot 1:5 states that they were instituted based on the verse “Sheva ba-yom hilaltikha” (“I praise You seven times daily”) (Tehilim 119:164; see above, 16:12).