Kedushah Prayer

''Kedushah'' () is the name of several prayers recited during Jewish prayer. They have in common the recitation of two Biblical verses, Isaiah 6:3 and Ezekiel 3:12. These verses come from prophetic visions in which angels sing praises to God.

There exist several variations of the kedushah, which appear in different contexts and have different laws. The best-known Kedushah is recited in the Amidah. Another is recited in the ''Yotzer ohr'' blessing and a third, the ''qiddusha de sedra'' () is recited on various occasions including the conclusion of weekday Shacharit. In some versions of the kedushah, additional Biblical verses are added in the same format as the verses from Isaiah and Ezekiel.

''Kedushah'' in the Amidah

The ''Kedushah'' is traditionally the third section of all Amidah recitations. In the silent Amidah, it is a short prayer; in the repetition, which requires a ''minyan'', it is considerably lengthier. The recitation of ''Kedushah'' daily is a Babylonian custom; in the Palestinian tradition, the repetition of the Amidah would usually not include the ''Kedushah'', with it added only on special occasions according to ''Soferim'' § 20. The liturgy varies among different communities and during different services, but they all hold in common three Bible verses (though translations vary):

:"Holy, Holy, Holy, The Lord of Hosts, The entire world is filled with His Glory." ()

:"Blessed is the Glory of the Lord in Its Place" ()

:"The Lord shall reign forever, Your God, O Zion, from generation to generation, Hallelujah" ()

All three of the verses cited above are recited as part of the congregational response to the ''hazzan''. For the first verse, , it is traditional for everyone to rise to their toes with each recitation of the word ''qaddosh'' ().

In the ''Mussaf'' services of Shabbat, Jewish festivals, and in some communities, the ''Shacharit'' service as well, an enhanced version of the ''Kedushah'' is recited, with additional praises in between the biblical verses. In the ''Mussaf'' service of Shabbat and festivals, a fourth verse is added: the opening line of the ''Shema''. The opening line of the ''Shema'' is included in the ''Kedushah'' on ''Ne'ilah'' of Yom Kippur, and in the Ashkenazic rite (including the Chasidic rite) in all of the ''Kedushah''s of Yom Kippur. Many sources describe the recitation of the ''Shema'' during ''Mussaf'' as a response to historical anti-Jewish decrees prohibiting reciting the ''Shema'' at the proper point of Jews’ religious service, but contemporary scholars have proposed a variety of other explanations, as well.

During the ''Kedushah'' of the Amidah, petitioners are expected to stand, if able.

''Kedushah'' is recited whenever the Amidah is repeated—that is to say, during ''Shacharit'', ''Mincha'', ''Mussaf'', and ''Ne'ilah'', but not ''Maariv''.

Kedushah in ''Yotzer Ohr''

A second Kedushah is recited as part of the ''Yotzer ohr'' blessing, before the ''Shema''. The only two verses recited here are Isaiah 6:3 and Ezekiel 3:12.

Early sources dispute whether this ''kedushah'' may be recited by individuals praying without a ''minyan''. The ''Shulchan Aruch'' records this dispute, and permits individuals to recite it even alone, but recommends that they recite it in the Torah reading chant, so that it is akin to Torah study rather than a ''kedushah'' recitation. Moses Isserlis, recording the Ashkenazic practice, permits individuals to recite the kedushah without the ''Shulchan Aruch''s recommendation in Orach Chaim 59:3.

Qiddusha de sedra

The ''qiddusha de sedra'' is recited after weekday morning services, at the beginning of the afternoon services of Shabbat and festivals, the conclusion of the evening service of Saturday night, and in the ''Nusach Ashkenaz'' (including ''Nusach Sefard'') at the beginning of the ''Ne'ilah'' service at the end of Yom Kippur.

This Kedushah contains three Hebrew Bible verses. The first two are the usual Isaiah 6:3 and Ezekiel 3:12. The third verse is , which is similar but not identical to Psalm 146:10, recited in the Amidah ''Kedushah''. After each Biblical verse is recited in Hebrew, its Aramaic translation is recited. The ''qiddusha de sedra'' does not require a ''minyan''.

Sources and history

''Kedushah'' is mentioned in several sources from the Talmudic period. The earliest source is the Tosefta, which says:
:Judah bar Ilai would answer with the blesser: 'Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Hosts; the entire world is full of His honor' and 'Blessed is the honor of the Lord from His place'.
The Talmud states that the Great Assembly established "blessings, prayers, ''kedushot'', and ''havdalot''", but Rashi argues that the word "''kedushot''" here refers to kiddush rather than to ''Kedushah''. Hekhalot Rabbati describes the angels praising God using the verses Isaiah 6:3, Ezekiel 3:12, Psalms 146:10; and the Jewish people reciting the verses "in ''Shacharit'' and ''Mincha''". Similarly, the Talmud describes the angels reciting Isaiah 6:3 and Ezekiel 3:12, and Jews reciting at least the first of those verses:
:Three groups of ministering angels say song each day; one says 'Holy', one says 'Holy', one says 'Holy is the Lord of hosts'. ... The ministering angels do not say song above until Israel says it below ... But there is lso the verse'Blessed'! - It is different group of angels, the''ofanim'', who say hat verse..

The accepted custom was to recite ''Kedushah'' in every ''Shacharit'' and ''Mincha'' Amidah repetition. However, Jews of the Land of Israel in this period only recited the Kedushah of the Amidah on special days - either Shabbat, or on any day Mussaf is recited as well as Hanukkah. Similarly, they recited the Kedushah of Yotzer Ohr only on such special occasions, and some communities may not have recited it at all.Ezra Fleischer, לתפוצתן של קדושת העמידה והיוצר במנהגות התפילה של ארץ ישראל, ''Tarbitz'' 38:266

In other religions

The first Biblical verse in the ''Kedushah'', Isaiah 6:3, is also found in the Sanctus of some Christian liturgical ordinaries.

References

External links

My Jewish Learning: Kedushah

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Jewish prayer and ritual texts
Hebrew words and phrases in Jewish prayers and blessings
Siddurim of Orthodox Judaism