Qedussah (Kedushah)

The song of praise and devotion to God sung by the angels in HEAVEN . Qedussah means “sanctification,” and it consists of the words given in ISAIAH 6:3: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory.” Most of the hymns and songs recited by MERKABAH mystics on their ascents to the throne of Glory end with the Qedussah. According to 3 ENOCH the Qedussah is one of the more important duties of the angels. It must be per- formed correctly in order to avoid God’s wrath. The singing of the “Holy” causes the very heavens and the earth to shake. The constellations and the stars are alarmed; the Sun and the Moon hurry in flight and seek to fling themselves from heaven. But the PRINCE OF THE WORLD soothes them and bids them to stay in their places. However, all the sacred NAMES that have been engraved with a pen of flame on the throne of glory fly off like eagles with 16 wings and surround God on the four sides of the abode of his SHEKINAH . When the Qedussah is performed in its proper order, the angels rejoice with great joy. Each of the ministers of the throne has a thousand thousand and myriads and myriads of starry crowns that they put on the heads of the MINISTERING ANGELS and the great PRINCES . When the angels recite the “Holy” in its proper order they receive three crowns. But if mistakes are made God becomes angry, and a devouring fire goes out from his little finger and splits into 496,000 myriads of parts the camps of angels and devours them in a single stroke. Then God opens his mouth and with one word creates new angels to take their place. Each of them recites the “Holy” as it is instructed to be given. Of the angels who are destroyed, they become fiery coals in the RIVER OF FIRE , but their spirits and souls stand behind the Shekinah surrounded by walls of fire. They have the faces of angels and wings of birds.