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. 	Joshua 	Psalms 	Ḥagigah
Noaḥ, Gen. 	Joshua 	Psalms 	Kinnim
Lekh Lekha, Gen. 	Joshua 	Psalms 	Ma'aserot and Ma'aser Sheni
Vayera, Gen. 	Judges 	Psalms 	Pe'ah
Ḥayye Sarah, Gen. 	Judges 	Psalms 	Kiddushin
Toledot, Gen. 	I Samuel 	Psalms 	Berakhot
Vayetze, Gen. 	I Samuel 	Psalms 	Ketubot
Vayishlaḥ, Gen. 	I Samuel 	Psalms 	Mo'ed Katan and Horayot
Vayeshev, Gen. 	II Samuel 	Psalms 	Yevamot
Mikketz, Gen. 	II Samuel 	Psalms 	Mikva'ot
Vayigash, Gen. 	II Samuel 	Psalms 	Kelim
Vayeḥi, Gen, 	I Kings 	Psalms 	Bekhorot
Shemot, Ex. 	I Kings 	Psalms 	Ta'anit and Megillah
Va'era, Ex. 	I Kings 	Job 	Makkot
Bo, Ex. 	II Kings 	Job 	Nega'im
Beshallaḥ, Ex. 	II Kings 	Job 	Eruvin
Yitro, Ex. 	II Kings 	Job 	Avot and Avodah Zarah
Mishpatim, Ex. 	II Kings 	Job 	Bava Kamma
Terumah, Ex. 	Jeremiah 	Job 	Middot
Tetzaveh, Ex. 	Jeremiah 	Job 	Tevul Yom
Ki Tissa, Ex. 	Jeremiah 	Esther 	Shekalim
Vayakhel, Ex. 	Jeremiah 	Song of Songs	Shabbat
Pekude, Ex. 	Jeremiah 	Proverbs 	Tohorot and Yadayim
Vayikra, Lev. 	Jeremiah 	Proverbs 	Zevaḥim
Tzav, Lev. 	Ezekiel 	Proverbs 	Menaḥot
Shemini, Lev. 	Ezekiel 	Proverbs 	Ḥullin
Tazria, Lev. 	Ezekiel 	Proverbs 	Niddah
Metzora, Lev. 	Ezekiel 	Proverbs 	Zavim
Aḥare Mot, Lev. 	Ezekiel 	Proverbs 	Keritot
Kedoshim, Lev. 	Ezekiel 	Daniel 	Orlah
Emor, Lev. 	Ezekiel 	Daniel 	Betzah and Yoma
Behar, Lev. 	Ezekiel 	Daniel 	Shevi'it
Beḥukkotai, Lev. 	Ezekiel 	Daniel 	Arakhin
Bemidbar, Num. 	Isaiah 	Ezra 	Makhshirin
Naso, Num. 	Isaiah 	Ruth 	Nazir and Sotah
Behaalotecha, Num. 	Isaiah 	Ezra 	Tamid
Shelaḥ Lekha, Num. 	Isaiah 	Nehemiah 	Ḥallah
Koraḥ, Num. 	Isaiah 	Nehemiah 	Terumot
Ḥukkat, Num. 	Isaiah 	I Chronicles 	Parah
Balak, Num. 	Isaiah 	I Chronicles 	Oholot
Pinḥas, Num. 	Isaiah 	I Chronicles 	Bava Batra
Mattot, Num. 	Isaiah 	I Chronicles 	Nedarim
Mass'e, Num. 	Isaiah 	I Chronicles 	Eduyot
Devarim, Deut. 	Isaiah 	Lamentations 	Bava Metzia
Va'etḥhannan, Deut. 	Isaiah 	II Chronicles	Shevu'ot
Ekev, Deut. 	Hosea 	II Chronicles	Kil'ayim
Re'eh, Deut. 	Hosea 	II Chronicles	Pesaḥim , Rosh Hashanah and Sukkah
Shofetim, Deut. 	Hosea 	II Chronicles	Sanhedrin
Ki Tetze, Deut. 	Joel and Amos 	II Chronicles	Gittin
Ki Tavo, Deut. 	Obadiah , Jonah and Micah 	II Chronicles	Bikkurim
Nitzavim, Deut. 	Nahum , Habakkuk , Zephaniah and Haggai	II Chronicles	Me'ilah
Vayelech, Deut. 	Zechariah 	Ecclesiastes 	Demai
Haazinu, Deut. 	Zechariah 	Ecclesiastes 	Uktzin
Vezot Haberakhah, Deut.	Malachi 	Ecclesiastes 	Temurah
This cycle is unrelated to that for Ḥoq le-Yisrael, which is a study cycle founded by Rabbi Chaim Joseph David Azulai and includes excerpts from the Zohar as well as the Bible and the Mishnah. This too is often published in book form and is widely popular among Near and Middle Eastern Jews.
==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==
*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
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