Seder ha-Mishmarah explained

The Seder ha-Mishmarah is a study cycle devised by the Ben Ish Ḥai and used by some Mizrahi Jews (Jews of Near and Middle Eastern origin) for reading the whole of the Hebrew Bible and the Mishnah in the course of a year. It depends on the cycle of the weekly Torah portions read in the synagogue.

Some communities have a custom of public reading, whereby on each Shabbat afternoon the whole of the mishmarah for the following Shabbat is read out loud. In others, individuals use it as a basis for private study. The usual form of the cycle is set out in the table below.

width=25%	Weekly Torah portion	width=25%	Neviim	width=25%	Ketuvim	width=25%	Mishnah
Bereshit, Gen. 1:1–6:8	Joshua 1-11	Psalms 1-11	Ḥagigah http://kodesh.snunit.k12.il/b/h/h2c.htm
Noaḥ, Gen. 6:9-11:32	Joshua 12-19	Psalms 12-20	Kinnim http://kodesh.snunit.k12.il/b/h/h5b.htm
Lekh Lekha, Gen. 12:1-17:27	Joshua 20-end	Psalms 21-34	Ma'aserot http://kodesh.snunit.k12.il/b/h/h17.htm and Ma'aser Sheni http://kodesh.snunit.k12.il/b/h/h18.htm
Vayera, Gen. 18:1-22:24	Judges 1-11	Psalms 35-42	Pe'ah http://kodesh.snunit.k12.il/b/h/h12.htm
Ḥayye Sarah, Gen. 23:1-25:18	Judges 12-end	Psalms 43-51	Kiddushin http://kodesh.snunit.k12.il/b/h/h37.htm
Toledot, Gen. 25:19-28:9	I Samuel 1-8	Psalms 52-65	Berakhot http://kodesh.snunit.k12.il/b/h/h11.htm
Vayetze, Gen. 28:10-32:3	I Samuel 9-13	Psalms 66-73	Ketubot http://kodesh.snunit.k12.il/b/h/h32.htm
Vayishlaḥ, Gen. 32:4-36:43	I Samuel 14-25	Psalms 74-79	Mo'ed Katan http://kodesh.snunit.k12.il/b/h/h2b.htm and Horayot http://kodesh.snunit.k12.il/b/h/h4a.htm
Vayeshev, Gen. 37:1-40:23	I Samuel 26-end, II Samuel 1-7	Psalms 80-90	Yevamot http://kodesh.snunit.k12.il/b/h/h31.htm
Mikketz, Gen. 41:1-44:17	II Samuel 8-18	Psalms 91-106	Mikva'ot http://kodesh.snunit.k12.il/b/h/h66.htm
Vayigash, Gen. 44:18-47:27	II Samuel 19-end	Psalms 107-119	Kelim http://kodesh.snunit.k12.il/b/h/h61.htm
Vayeḥi, Gen, 47:28-50:26	I Kings 1-6	Psalms 120-136	Bekhorot http://kodesh.snunit.k12.il/b/h/h54.htm
Shemot, Ex. 1:1-6:1	I Kings 7-10	Psalms 137-150	Ta'anit http://kodesh.snunit.k12.il/b/h/h29.htm and Megillah http://kodesh.snunit.k12.il/b/h/h2a.htm
Va'era, Ex. 6:2-9:35	I Kings 11-19	Job 1-6	Makkot http://kodesh.snunit.k12.il/b/h/h45.htm
Bo, Ex. 10:1-13:16	I Kings 20 to II Kings 5	Job 7-12	Nega'im http://kodesh.snunit.k12.il/b/h/h63.htm
Beshallaḥ, Ex. 13:17-17:16	II Kings 6-12	Job 13-20	Eruvin http://kodesh.snunit.k12.il/b/h/h22.htm
Yitro, Ex. 18:1-20:23	II Kings 13-18	Job 21-25	Avot http://kodesh.snunit.k12.il/b/h/h49.htm and Avodah Zarah http://kodesh.snunit.k12.il/b/h/h48.htm
Mishpatim, Ex. 21:1-24:18	II Kings 19-end	Job 26-28	Bava Kamma http://kodesh.snunit.k12.il/b/h/h41.htm
Terumah, Ex. 25:1-27:19	Jeremiah 1-8	Job 29-38	Middot http://kodesh.snunit.k12.il/b/h/h5a.htm
Tetzaveh, Ex. 27:20-30:10	Jeremiah 9-17	Job 39-end	Tevul Yom http://kodesh.snunit.k12.il/b/h/h6a.htm
Ki Tissa, Ex. 30:11-34:35	Jeremiah 18-31	Esther 1-end	Shekalim http://kodesh.snunit.k12.il/b/h/h24.htm
Vayakhel, Ex. 35:1-38:20	Jeremiah 32-37	Song of Songs 1-end	Shabbat http://kodesh.snunit.k12.il/b/h/h21.htm
Pekude, Ex. 38:21-40:38	Jeremiah 38-48	Proverbs 1-6	Tohorot http://kodesh.snunit.k12.il/b/h/h65.htm and Yadayim http://kodesh.snunit.k12.il/b/h/h6b.htm
Vayikra, Lev. 1:1-5:26	Jeremiah 49-end	Proverbs 7-12	Zevaḥim http://kodesh.snunit.k12.il/b/h/h51.htm
Tzav, Lev. 6:1-8:36	Ezekiel 1-9	Proverbs 13-17	Menaḥot http://kodesh.snunit.k12.il/b/h/h52.htm
Shemini, Lev. 9:1-11:47	Ezekiel 10-17	Proverbs 18-22	Ḥullin http://kodesh.snunit.k12.il/b/h/h53.htm
Tazria, Lev. 12:1-13:59	Ezekiel 18-22	Proverbs 23-27	Niddah http://kodesh.snunit.k12.il/b/h/h67.htm
Metzora, Lev. 14:1-15:33	Ezekiel 23-27	Proverbs 28-30	Zavim http://kodesh.snunit.k12.il/b/h/h69.htm
Aḥare Mot, Lev. 16:1-18:30	Ezekiel 28-30	Proverbs 31-end	Keritot http://kodesh.snunit.k12.il/b/h/h57.htm
Kedoshim, Lev. 19:1-20:27	Ezekiel 31-40	Daniel 1-3	Orlah http://kodesh.snunit.k12.il/b/h/h1a.htm
Emor, Lev. 21:1-24:23	Ezekiel 41-43	Daniel 4-6	Betzah http://kodesh.snunit.k12.il/b/h/h27.htm and Yoma http://kodesh.snunit.k12.il/b/h/h25.htm
Behar, Lev. 25:1-26:2	Ezekiel 44-46	Daniel 7-8	Shevi'it http://kodesh.snunit.k12.il/b/h/h15.htm
Beḥukkotai, Lev. 26:3-27:34	Ezekiel 47-end	Daniel 9-end	Arakhin http://kodesh.snunit.k12.il/b/h/h55.htm
Bemidbar, Num. 1:1-4:20	Isaiah 1-5	Ezra 1-5	Makhshirin http://kodesh.snunit.k12.il/b/h/h68.htm
Naso, Num. 4:21-7:89	Isaiah 6-9	Ruth 1-end	Nazir http://kodesh.snunit.k12.il/b/h/h34.htm and Sotah http://kodesh.snunit.k12.il/b/h/h35.htm
Behaalotecha, Num. 8:1-12:16	Isaiah 10-13	Ezra 6-end	Tamid http://kodesh.snunit.k12.il/b/h/h59.htm
Shelaḥ Lekha, Num. 13:1-15:41	Isaiah 14-20	Nehemiah 1-5	Ḥallah http://kodesh.snunit.k12.il/b/h/h19.htm
Koraḥ, Num. 16:1-18:32	Isaiah 21-24	Nehemiah 6-end	Terumot http://kodesh.snunit.k12.il/b/h/h16.htm
Ḥukkat, Num. 19:1-22:1	Isaiah 25-29	I Chronicles 1-5	Parah http://kodesh.snunit.k12.il/b/h/h64.htm
Balak, Num. 22:2-25:9	Isaiah 30-33	I Chronicles 6-11	Oholot http://kodesh.snunit.k12.il/b/h/h62.htm
Pinḥas, Num. 25:10-30:1	Isaiah 34-40	I Chronicles 12-17	Bava Batra http://kodesh.snunit.k12.il/b/h/h43.htm
Mattot, Num. 30:2-32:42	Isaiah 41-44	I Chronicles 18-23	Nedarim http://kodesh.snunit.k12.il/b/h/h33.htm
Mass'e, Num. 33:1-36:13	Isaiah 45-49	I Chronicles 24-end	Eduyot http://kodesh.snunit.k12.il/b/h/h47.htm
Devarim, Deut. 1:1-3:22	Isaiah 50-58	Lamentations 1-end	Bava Metzia http://kodesh.snunit.k12.il/b/h/h42.htm
Va'etḥhannan, Deut. 3:23-7:11	Isaiah 59-end	II Chronicles 1-4	Shevu'ot http://kodesh.snunit.k12.il/b/h/h46.htm
Ekev, Deut. 7:12-11:25	Hosea 1-6	II Chronicles 5-8	Kil'ayim http://kodesh.snunit.k12.il/b/h/h14.htm
Re'eh, Deut. 11:26-16:17	Hosea 7-12	II Chronicles 9-14	Pesaḥim http://kodesh.snunit.k12.il/b/h/h23.htm, Rosh Hashanah http://kodesh.snunit.k12.il/b/h/h28.htm and Sukkah http://kodesh.snunit.k12.il/b/h/h26.htm
Shofetim, Deut. 16:18-21:9	Hosea 13-end	II Chronicles 15-24	Sanhedrin http://kodesh.snunit.k12.il/b/h/h44.htm
Ki Tetze, Deut. 21:10-25:19	Joel 1-end and Amos 1-end	II Chronicles 25-27	Gittin http://kodesh.snunit.k12.il/b/h/h36.htm
Ki Tavo, Deut. 26:1-29:8	Obadiah 1-end, Jonah 1-end and Micah 1-end	II Chronicles 28-34	Bikkurim http://kodesh.snunit.k12.il/b/h/h1b.htm
Nitzavim, Deut. 29:9-30:20	Nahum 1-end, Habakkuk 1-end, Zephaniah 1-end and Haggai 1-end	II Chronicles 35-end	Me'ilah http://kodesh.snunit.k12.il/b/h/h58.htm
Vayelech, Deut. 31:1-31:30	Zechariah 1-11	Ecclesiastes 1-5	Demai http://kodesh.snunit.k12.il/b/h/h13.htm
Haazinu, Deut. 32:1-32:52	Zechariah 12-end	Ecclesiastes 6-9	Uktzin http://kodesh.snunit.k12.il/b/h/h6c.htm
Vezot Haberakhah, Deut. 33:1-34:12	Malachi 1-end	Ecclesiastes 10-end	Temurah http://kodesh.snunit.k12.il/b/h/h56.htm

This cycle is unrelated to that for Chok l'Yisrael, which is a study cycle based on the works of Rabbi Hayyim ben Joseph Vital and revised by Rabbi Chaim Joseph David Azulai. This too is often published in book form and is widely popular among Near and Middle Eastern Jews. Differences between the two are:

• The Seder ha-Mishmarah does not include Targum or commentaries on the Torah portion; Chok l'Yisrael includes both;
• Chok l'Yisrael does not include the whole of Nevi'im, Ketuvim or the Mishnah, and does not present the excerpts in a continuous order through the year;
• Chok l'Yisrael also includes excerpts from the Talmud, the Zohar and works of Jewish law and morality;
• Chok l'Yisrael is designed for daily rather than weekly reading.

Other uses

In Mishnaic Hebrew mishmarah (or mishmeret) means a "watch", that is to say a division of the night (usually one-third). In Temple times, a mishmar (or mishmarah) also referred to a group of priests whose turn it was to officiate.

In addition to the study cycle described above, the term mishmarah is used for a nocturnal prayer or study session preceding a celebration such as a wedding or a Brit milah or a festival such as Hoshanah Rabba or following a death. This usage was derived either from the above meaning as a watch in the night or from the practice of watching over a corpse. However, by folk etymology the word is sometimes interpreted as a portmanteau of "Mishnah" and "Gemara", to refer to the texts studied.^[1]

See also

• Other study cycles under Torah study #Study cycles

External links and references

EndnotesReferences and external links

• Ḥoq le-Ya'aqov, which sets out all the readings in book form
• Table at end of Tefillat Yesharim (Iraqi prayer book)
• Mishmarah tab on http://www.pizmonim.org website

Notes and References

1. http://www.isaacazose.com/Tribute.html isaacazose.com