The name Ma’ariv – Ask the Rabbi
Q. Why is the evening prayer called Ma’ariv?
A. Erev is evening, and God ma’ariv aravim, “brings on the evening”. (Sephardim call the evening service Ar’vit.) Why is evening erev? The root e-r-v means “to mingle”, and erev is the time of transition when light mingles with darkness and day leads into night.
