Halakhah su Osea 14:3

It is popularly assumed that the synagogue emerged as a communal institution only subsequent to the destruction of the Temple. It is quite true that the synagogue is often referred to as a mikdash me'at, a miniature Temple, but such reference does not connote that the synagogue is merely a replica of, or a replacement for, the Temple which once stood in Jerusalem. Prayer does, indeed, serve as a substitute for the sacrificial order—"Let our lips compensate for bullocks" (Hos. 14:3)—and the formal order of prayer followed today is patterned after the sacrificial ritulal. However, prayer constitutes a mizvah in and of itself, regardless of whether or not sacrifices are concomitantly offered in the Temple.

Regarding the Musaf prayer—although its time period is the entire day (till nightfall), thereby making Maariv the next tefillah,²⁰Since there is no interruption between the end of the Musaf period and the start of the Maariv period. nevertheless it [musaf] cannot be compensated at night, because the musaf prayer was instituted based on the verse.²¹Hosea 14:3. "Let the offerings of our lips replace bullocks,"²²The people of Israel ask that their prayers be accepted in place of the sacrifices that can no longer be brought because of the destruction of the Temple. In effect, our prayers substitute for our sacrifices. Thus, the Musaf prayer substitutes for the Musaf sacrifices. and once the time has passed the sacrifice can no longer be brought.²³The Maariv prayer takes place after nightfall when the Musaf sacrifices can no longer be sacrificed. It is, therefore, too late to compensate.

And all of this commandment is practiced at the time of the [Temple]. And now that - due to our iniquities - we have neither a Temple nor a high priest, neither serving garments nor sacrifices, all of Israel has been accustomed to serve on this day though our prayers and supplications. And [it is] as it is written (Hoshea 14:3), "and we shall pay the bulls of our lips."