2. History – When were the blessings instituted?

King David: Dovid Hamelech instituted that one recite 100 blessings daily, for the reason to be explained next.^[1] However, these 100 blessings that King David instituted to be said were forgotten [and hence were not said during the 1^st Temple era], until the times of the Talmud [i.e. second Temple era] in which the sages came and established [new] blessings, in place of the blessings that were forgotten, as explained next.[2]

Second Temple Sages:[3] The Sages instituted the recital of blessings specifically in the era of the second temple. In the times of the first Temple, however, people did not recite blessings [other than the biblical blessings such as Grace after meals and the blessings over Torah study]. The reason for this is because the purpose of the blessings are to draw down a level of encompassing godliness onto the soul in order to give it divine assistance in its faith in God [and its battles that it faces in this world]. Now, the souls of the Jewish people in the era of the first Temple were of such high level that they did not require this extra godly assistance for them to have strong faith in God [and successfully battle their animal soul], and hence it was not necessary for them to recite blessings. However, in the second Temple era the souls were not of such high level and hence the sages instituted the blessings in order to draw down a revelation of faith in God. [Now, although it states that King David is the one who instituted the 100 blessings, which was prior to the first Temple, this was only done for the purpose of being recited during the second Temple era, as King David saw with the divine spirit that it would be necessary during the second Temple era.[4] This explains why indeed the blessings that David instituted were forgotten recited during the first Temple era, as stated above, as they were never instituted for that period of time.]

^[1] Admur 46:1                                            

[2] Shibuleiy Haleket, brought in Shaar Hakolel 1:6 [This answers an apparent contradiction in Admur if it was David that instituted the blessings or if it was the sages in the second Temple era.]

[3] See Torah Or Bereishis p. 6 “Lehavin Inyan Habrachos”; Or Hatorah Bereishis 3 p. 551

[4] Sefer Hamamarim 5638 p. 7