Mi Yodeya is a question and answer site for those who base their lives on Jewish law and tradition and anyone interested in learning more. It only takes a minute to sign up.
Sign up to join this community
one reason one might not do so is that the blessings of shema were instituted by the rabbis and with a safek d'rabanin one is often linient against a safek d'orysa (bracha levatala)
one reason one might do so is that blessings themselves are connected with the fulfilling of the mitzvah in the most ideal way.
If one is in doubt whether they had already recited maariv should they say the blessings of shema with the shema? If not what should the order of maariv look like exactly?
If he is unsure if he recited Shema, he should recite it with its blessings (OC 67).
If one is unsure if one had recited the Amida, one should recite it and intend that it should be a voluntary prayer if one had already said it (OC 107:1). Some say this isn't necessary for Arvit which is fundamentally a lower level obligation, but most don't distinguish (Mishna Berura ibid., Arukh HaShulchan :10).
