Seder ha-Mishmarah
The Seder ha-Mishmarah is a study cycle devised by the Ben Ish Ḥai and used by some 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.
| Weekly Torah portion |
Neviim |
Ketuvim |
Mishnah |
|---|
| Bereshit, Gen. 1:1–6:8 |
Joshua 1-11 |
Psalms 1-11 |
Ḥagigah |
| Noaḥ, Gen. 6:9-11:32 |
Joshua 12-19 |
Psalms 12-20 |
Kinnim |
| Lekh Lekha, Gen. 12:1-17:27 |
Joshua 20-end |
Psalms 21-34 |
Ma'aserot and Ma'aser Sheni |
| Vayera, Gen. 18:1-22:24 |
Judges 1-11 |
Psalms 35-42 |
Pe'ah |
| Ḥayye Sarah, Gen. 23:1-25:18 |
Judges 12-end |
Psalms 43-51 |
Kiddushin |
| Toledot, Gen. 25:19-28:9 |
I Samuel 1-8 |
Psalms 52-65 |
Berakhot |
| Vayetze, Gen. 28:10-32:3 |
I Samuel 9-13 |
Psalms 66-73 |
Ketubot |
| Vayishlaḥ, Gen. 32:4-36:43 |
I Samuel 14-25 |
Psalms 74-79 |
Mo'ed Katan and Horayot |
| Vayeshev, Gen. 37:1-40:23 |
II Samuel 1-7 |
Psalms 80-90 |
Yevamot |
| Mikketz, Gen. 41:1-44:17 |
II Samuel 8-18 |
Psalms 91-106 |
Mikva'ot |
| Vayigash, Gen. 44:18-47:27 |
II Samuel 19-end |
Psalms 107-119 |
Kelim |
| Vayeḥi, Gen, 47:28-50:26 |
I Kings 1-6 |
Psalms 120-136 |
Bekhorot |
| Shemot, Ex. 1:1-6:1 |
I Kings 7-10 |
Psalms 137-150 |
Ta'anit and Megillah |
| Va'era, Ex. 6:2-9:35 |
I Kings 11-19 |
Job 1-6 |
Makkot |
| Bo, Ex. 10:1-13:16 |
I Kings 20 to II Kings 5 |
Job 7-12 |
Nega'im |
| Beshallaḥ, Ex. 13:17-17:16 |
II Kings 6-12 |
Job 13-20 |
Eruvin |
| Yitro, Ex. 18:1-20:23 |
II Kings 13-18 |
Job 21-25 |
Avot and Avodah Zarah |
| Mishpatim, Ex. 21:1-24:18 |
II Kings 19-end |
Job 26-28 |
Bava Kamma |
| Terumah, Ex. 25:1-27:19 |
Jeremiah 1-8 |
Job 29-38 |
Middot |
| Tetzaveh, Ex. 27:20-30:10 |
Jeremiah 9-17 |
Job 39-end |
Tevul Yom |
| Ki Tissa, Ex. 30:11-34:35 |
Jeremiah 18-31 |
Esther 1-end |
Shekalim |
| Vayakhel, Ex. 35:1-38:20 |
Jeremiah 32-37 |
Song of Songs 1-end |
Shabbat |
| Pekude, Ex. 38:21-40:38 |
Jeremiah 38-48 |
Proverbs 1-6 |
Tohorot and Yadayim |
| Vayikra, Lev. 1:1-5:26 |
Jeremiah 49-end |
Proverbs 7-12 |
Zevaḥim |
| Tzav, Lev. 6:1-8:36 |
Ezekiel 1-9 |
Proverbs 13-17 |
Menaḥot |
| Shemini, Lev. 9:1-11:47 |
Ezekiel 10-17 |
Proverbs 18-22 |
Ḥullin |
| Tazria, Lev. 12:1-13:59 |
Ezekiel 18-22 |
Proverbs 23-27 |
Niddah |
| Metzora, Lev. 14:1-15:33 |
Ezekiel 23-27 |
Proverbs 28-30 |
Zavim |
| Aḥare Mot, Lev. 16:1-18:30 |
Ezekiel 28-30 |
Proverbs 31-end |
Keritot |
| Kedoshim, Lev. 19:1-20:27 |
Ezekiel 31-40 |
Daniel 1-3 |
Orlah |
| Emor, Lev. 21:1-24:23 |
Ezekiel 41-43 |
Daniel 4-6 |
Betzah and Yoma |
| Behar, Lev. 25:1-26:2 |
Ezekiel 44-46 |
Daniel 7-8 |
Shevi'it |
| Beḥukkotai, Lev. 26:3-27:34 |
Ezekiel 47-end |
Daniel 9-end |
Arakhin |
| Bemidbar, Num. 1:1-4:20 |
Isaiah 1-5 |
Ezra 1-5 |
Makhshirin |
| Naso, Num. 4:21-7:89 |
Isaiah 6-9 |
Ruth 1-end |
Nazir and Sotah |
| Behaalotecha, Num. 8:1-12:16 |
Isaiah 10-13 |
Ezra 6-end |
Tamid |
| Shelaḥ Lekha, Num. 13:1-15:41 |
Isaiah 14-20 |
Nehemiah 1-5 |
Ḥallah |
| Koraḥ, Num. 16:1-18:32 |
Isaiah 21-24 |
Nehemiah 6-end |
Terumot |
| Ḥukkat, Num. 19:1-22:1 |
Isaiah 25-29 |
I Chronicles 1-5 |
Parah |
| Balak, Num. 22:2-25:9 |
Isaiah 30-33 |
I Chronicles 6-11 |
Oholot |
| Pinḥas, Num. 25:10-30:1 |
Isaiah 34-40 |
I Chronicles 12-17 |
Bava Batra |
| Mattot, Num. 30:2-32:42 |
Isaiah 41-44 |
I Chronicles 18-23 |
Nedarim |
| Mass'e, Num. 33:1-36:13 |
Isaiah 45-49 |
I Chronicles 24-end |
Eduyot |
| Devarim, Deut. 1:1-3:22 |
Isaiah 50-58 |
Lamentations 1-end |
Bava Metzia |
| Va'etḥhannan, Deut. 3:23-7:11 |
Isaiah 59-end |
II Chronicles 1-4 |
Shevu'ot |
| Ekev, Deut. 7:12-11:25 |
Hosea 1-6 |
II Chronicles 5-8 |
Kil'ayim |
| Re'eh, Deut. 11:26-16:17 |
Hosea 7-12 |
II Chronicles 9-14 |
Pesaḥim , Rosh Hashanah and Sukkah |
| Shofetim, Deut. 16:18-21:9 |
Hosea 13-end |
II Chronicles 15-24 |
Sanhedrin |
| Ki Tetze, Deut. 21:10-25:19 |
Joel 1-end and Amos 1-end |
II Chronicles 25-27 |
Gittin |
| Ki Tavo, Deut. 26:1-29:8 |
Obadiah 1-end, Jonah 1-end and Micah 1-end |
II Chronicles 28-34 |
Bikkurim |
| 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 |
| Vayelech, Deut. 31:1-31:30 |
Zechariah 1-11 |
Ecclesiastes 1-5 |
Demai |
| Haazinu, Deut. 32:1-32:52 |
Zechariah 12-end |
Ecclesiastes 6-9 |
Uktzin |
| Vezot Haberakhah, Deut. 33:1-34:12 |
Malachi 1-end |
Ecclesiastes 10-end |
Temurah |
This cycle is unrelated to that for Ḥoq le-Yisra'el, 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; Ḥoq le-Yisra'el includes both;
- Ḥoq le-Yisra'el 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;
- Ḥoq le-Yisra'el also includes excerpts from the Talmud, the Zohar and works of Jewish law and morality;
- Ḥoq le-Yisra'el 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.
References