Kabbalah Hosea 14:3: Sha'arei Orah

It is incumbent that you understand that, as explained, prayer is called work-Avodah-עבודה, as our sages, of blessed memory, said,³⁶⁹Talmud Bavli, Taanit 2a “What work-Avodah-עבודה is the service of the heart? This refers to prayer.” In this way, contemplate and realize that the prayers were established in place of the sacrifices-Korbanot-קרבנות.³⁷⁰See Talmud Bavli, Brachot 26b As you already know, the sacrifices-Korbanot-קרבנות are the matter of uniting the Sefirot, bringing order to their levels and repairing their conduits, which is why they are called sacrifice-Korban-קרבן, meaning coming close-Kiruv-קירוב. This being so, our prayers stand in lieu of the sacrifices-Korbanot-קרבנות, only that through sacrifices the levels are brought close through action (Ma’aseh), whereas through prayer, they are brought close through speech (Dibur). The verse that hints at this is,³⁷¹Hosea 14:3 “Let our lips be in substitution for the [sacrificial] bulls.” About this our sages, of blessed memory, stated,³⁷²Talmud Bavli, Brachot 26b “The prayers were instituted in accordance to the sacrificial offerings of Tamid and Musaf.”