Seder ha-Mishmarah

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.

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 I Samuel 26–end, 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.[1]

See also

Endnotes

  1. isaacazose.com

References and external links

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