Taking it With You: Ramchal: Structure

The Amidah is followed by three other prayers, which transmit a continuity of God’s sustenance to the three worlds, one after the other. They are the Kedushah of the Order in u’Va L’Tzion, the Levites Psalm for each day, and “Ein Kelokeinu. We conclude the service with Aleinu, which speaks of God’s Kingdom, and thus establishes His rule over all creation again after every part  of it is blessed by God.

Associated with this are three other prayers designated to arouse God’s mercy and increase His blessing. These are the Confession, the Thirteen Attributes, and the falling on one’s face in Tachanun.

The purpose of the Confession is to prevent the Accusers from speaking out and causing the service to be cast aside.

We then recite the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy because they have the power to cause God to be grasped through His Attribute of Mercy, so that through His superior authority He should overlook sin and have compassion even when merit is lacking.

The falling on one’s face in Tachanun is also a high degree of self-subjugation before God. It is therefore has the power to appease the Attribute of Justice and arouse great mercy. God’s sustenance can then be transmitted with blessing and abundance.