We can understand this [with a preface] based on that which is brought in a Medrash: “Moshe Rabbeinu of blessed memory perceived with Divine intervention and saw that the Beis HaMikdosh would eventually be destroyed and the Mitzvah of Bikkurim would cease. He took action and established prayers thrice daily.”
The interpretation of this Medrash is that the Mitzvah of Bikkurim within a person’s Avodah is the symbolic equivalent to the Avodah of prayer. For in general, our sages of blessed memory say that “The prayers were established to substitute the animal sacrifices”.
However, after close inspection of all sacrifices and offerings, ‘prayer’ [actually] corresponds most directly to the offering of the Mitzvah of Bikkurim. This unique connection is best understood through an explanation by the Tzemach Tzedek in his work the ‘Ohr Hatorah’ where he writes: “There are two aspects to the Mitzvah of Bikkurim - The first is the physical act of separating the first fruit and the physical act of bringing the Bikkurim; the second is the reading of the section in the Torah which discusses Bikkurim as the Possuk states: וְעָנִּיתָ וְאָמַרְתָ “And you shall call out and say...””.
The difference between these two aspects is, that the essence of the Mitzvah of bringing Bikkurim is an Avodah from below to above, because we separate all of the Bikkurim from the rest of the fruits and bring them up to “The place which HaShem will choose...”.
Whereas, the reading of the Bikkurim section in Torah, is, about drawing down Divine inspiration from above to below. This is so because in essence the reading serves to publicize the great kindnesses of HaShem towards the B’nei Yisroel in a loud voice, when he says: “An Aramean sought to destroy my forefather...” and more specifically how HaShem has shown him personally...
