The gemorah in Gittin 60b says that any pasuk which is written in the Torah cannot be said by heart. It must be read from a siddur or chumash. This halacha is brought by the Shulchan Aruch 49:1. There are however some exceptions to this rule. Some say that anything that is part of davening can be said by heart. Others argue and say that a popular pasuk that everyone knows by heart, rule doesn’t apply. The GR”A brings another opinion which says that it is permitted to ay a pasuk only to yourself. The halacha only applies to someone saying a pasuk for other people. A common example is the recital of “VaYichulu” in Friday night kiddush. According to the explanation that a well known pasuk can be said, then it would be permitted to say it by heart. On the other hand, if you are saying these pasukim for yourself and others to hear kiddush, some would require this paragraph to be said only while reading out of a siddur. The Magen Avraham adds that since there are different contradictory opinions, one should only say by heart those pasukim brought specifically by the Shulchan Aruch- (Shema, bircas kohanim,and parshas tamid in korbanos).

Rabbi Tzvi Aryeh Hyman, Mir Yeshiva
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