The Four Bible Verses To Be Put In Tefilin According To Rabbinic Interpretation And The Tradition

The commandment to wear tefillin (phylacteries) is outlined in the Torah. In the Hebrew Bible, in the Book of Deuteronomy 6:8 and 11:18, it is stated:

"Bind them [God's commandments] as a sign upon your hand, and let them be as frontlets between your eyes."

Traditionally, these verses are interpreted by Orthodox Jews to mean the placement of specific passages from the Torah within the tefillin. The four passages are:

1. Deuteronomy 6:4-9 (known as the Shema)

2. Deuteronomy 11:13-21

3. Exodus 13:1-10

4. Exodus 13:11-16

These verses are handwritten on parchment scrolls and placed in the compartments of the tefillin worn by observant Jewish men during weekday morning prayers. The specific instruction for four verses within the tefillin comes from rabbinic interpretation and tradition.