The Haftarah from Yeshayahu (6:1-7) transports us to a celestial vision where the Seraphim declare: קָדוֹשׁ, קָדוֹשׁ, קָדוֹשׁ ה' צְבָאוֹת, מְלֹא כָל-הָאָרֶץ כְּבוֹדוֹ, Holy, Holy, Holy is Hashem, Master of Legions; the whole world is filled with His glory. These words are deeply familiar to us—we recite them daily in Birchot Kriat Shema, in the Chazan's repetition of Shemoneh Esrei, and again in U'va L'Tzion. The repetition of קדוש three times emphasizes Hashem's absolute transcendence—He is beyond human comprehension, beyond limitation, and beyond time itself. As Rav Schwab in his book on prayer explains, the term קדוש does not simply mean "holy" but denotes separation—Hashem is utterly removed from the grasp of any being, including the malachim themselves.
And yet, despite Hashem's transcendence, we, Am Yisrael, have a unique ability to connect with Him. The Gemara (Yevamot 64a) states: הקב"ה מתאוה לתפילתן של צדיקים, Hashem desires the prayers of the righteous. Unlike the angels, whose praises are perfect and unwavering, human beings approach Hashem through prayer—through longing, yearning, and struggle. In Pirkei Heichalot (9), Hashem declares to Israel: Lift your eyes to the heavens in prayer! There is no greater delight in My world than the moment when your eyes meet Mine as you declare 'Kadosh!'"
When the malachim declare קדושה, they do so as purely spiritual beings. But when we proclaim קדושה, we do something remarkable: we physically express our desire for holiness. As we say קָדוֹשׁ, קָדוֹשׁ, קָדוֹשׁ, we rise up on our toes three times. This simple yet powerful movement reflects our striving for something higher, our effort to reach for the best selves we can become. We acknowledge Hashem's exaltedness while demonstrating that we are not passive in our pursuit of holiness. We stretch, elevate, and yearn to ascend beyond our limitations.
This is the deeper meaning of קְדֹשִׁ֣ים תִּהְי֑וּ כִּ֣י קָד֔וֹשׁ אֲנִ֖י, You shall be holy, for I, Hashem your God, am holy (Vayikra 19:2). As Rav Schwab notes based on Rashi's commentary, holiness is not just about divine transcendence—it is about removal from immorality, about elevating ourselves above our base instincts. Hashem has granted us alone the ability to choose holiness, to take deliberate steps toward Him through our tefillah, mitzvot, and moral refinement. Thus, while Hashem remains infinitely beyond us, we possess a power even the angels do not: the ability to transform separation into connection, to bridge the divide through our prayers, our struggles, and our yearning for holiness.
Each time we recite קדושה, we affirm this reality. Our voices join those of the malachim, but unlike them, we declare it as beings who strive toward holiness, elevating ourselves and our world. May we always reach upward—physically and spiritually—sanctifying Hashem's Name, creating a 'קידוש ה in both word and deed, drawing ever closer to the holiness that defines our people.
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