<p>Thank you Rabbi Willig. It always bothered me why on the one hand we say viduy by each tefilla on YHC, but we only say YG Middos at Maariv and Neila. I figured out (erroneously of course) that it had something to do with night vs day.</p> <p>I remember asking my Rabbi about this maybe 15 years ago, and he said that the Shma Koleinu said at each tefilla is effectively slichos. I suspect he meant that the tune and content of Shma Koleinu is a slichos'dike. But it still didnt answer my question.</p> <p>I also asked the librarian at our Kollel - a very knowledgeable man - and he told me which books to look it up in. I never followed through.</p> <p>So now thanks to you R Willig, I know more of the story.</p>