הַשְׁכִּיבֵֽנוּ יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ לְשָׁלוֹם וְהַעֲמִידֵֽנוּ מַלְכֵּֽנוּ לְחַיִּים... וְהָסֵר מֵעָלֵֽינוּ אוֹיֵב דֶּֽבֶר וְחֶֽרֶב וְרָעָב וְיָגוֹן...
(Adonoy our God; make us lie down in peace, our King, raise us again to life...and remove from us enemies, pestilence, "cherev", famine and sorrow.
(כב) יַכְּכָ֣ה יְ֠הֹוָ֠ה בַּשַּׁחֶ֨פֶת וּבַקַּדַּ֜חַת וּבַדַּלֶּ֗קֶת וּבַֽחַרְחֻר֙ וּבַחֶ֔רֶב וּבַשִּׁדָּפ֖וֹן וּבַיֵּרָק֑וֹן וּרְדָפ֖וּךָ עַ֥ד אׇבְדֶֽךָ׃
(22) יהוה will strike you with consumption, fever, and inflammation, with scorching heat and "cherev", and with blight and mildew; they shall hound you until you perish.
The word "cherev" can mean a sword or drought/dryness. In the Tochacha here, Rashi says it means a sword, whereas Ibn Ezra, Chizkuni, and Onkelos (according to Me'At Tzori) say it means the latter.
I am pointing this out also because it would seem that what we are saying in Maariv "Cherev v'Raav" seems to mirror the Tochacha "Cherev U'Shidafon"; Shidafon is blight which is a cause of famine.
I haven't seen anyone make this parallel, but perhaps the beracha is based on this passuk.
I am pointing this out also because it would seem that what we are saying in Maariv "Cherev v'Raav" seems to mirror the Tochacha "Cherev U'Shidafon"; Shidafon is blight which is a cause of famine.
I haven't seen anyone make this parallel, but perhaps the beracha is based on this passuk.