Kaddish After Kerias HaTorah
After every Kerias HaTorah, a half-Kaddish is recited.250 The only exceptions to this rule are after the Kerias HaTorah of Minchah on Shabbos and on public fast days, since a half-Kaddish will be recited after the Sefer Torah is returned to the Aron Kodesh before Shemoneh Esrei.251 The Sefer Torah should be covered during the recital of Kaddish.252
On days when there is no maftir (such as on weekdays or a weekday Chol Hamoed), the Kaddish is recited after the last aliyah. On Shabbos or Yom Tov morning, the Kaddish is recited before maftir.253 If there is more than one Sefer Torah, the Sephardic custom is to recite Kaddish again after maftir.254 However, Ashkenazic custom is that Kaddish is not repeated after maftir. If the Kaddish was mistakenly omitted before maftir, it should be said after the last berachah following the haftarah.255 On a day when three Sifrei Torah will be read from, if the Kaddish was mistakenly recited after reading from the first Sefer Torah – instead of after the second one – it is repeated before maftir.256 The second or third Sefer Torah should be placed on the bimah when Kaddish is recited.257
This Kaddish should be recited by the ba’al korei. However, if a mourner or a person who has yahrtzeit receives the last aliyah (shelishi on a weekday; shevi’i on Shabbos; acharon on Yom Tov), he may recite this Kaddish instead.258 Other poskim say that this Kaddish should be recited by a mourner or a person who has a yahrtzeit, even if he was not called up for the last aliyah,259 and some congregations follow this opinion.260
Kaddish is recited after Kerias HaTorah, even if there is no longer a minyan in shul, so long as there was a minyan when Kerias HaTorah began, and at least six people remain.261
250 That is, even after the reading on Monday and Thursday when there is no haftarah; Pri Megadim, Mishbetzos Zahav 55:1, based on Levush 492; see also Pischei Shearim 7:28. Beis Yosef (55) cites the Sefer Ha’agaur (94) who explains that Kaddish is recited after every independent part of davening, and Kerias HaTorah is an independent part of davening. There are numerous deeper reasons for the institution of this Kaddish, for discussion see Hakeriah BaTorah Vehilchosehah 53, footnote 1.
251 That is, when no other prayer, such as Ashrei, is recited between Kerias HaTorah and Shemoneh Esrei (Levush 492). This is also why half-Kaddish is recited after Kerias HaTorah on days when Mussaf is recited.
252 Mishnah Berurah 139:21.
253 Rema 282:4.
254 Based on Beis Yosef 282:4. Even if only one Sefer Torah is used, Yalkut Yosef 144:8.
255 Mishnah Berurah 282:29.
256 Igros Moshe, Orach Chaim I:101. However, see Da’as Torah 684:3 who mentions a dissenting opinion. If the Kaddish is recited before the second or third Sefer Torah is placed on the bimah, there is no need to repeat it.
257 Mishnah Berurah 147:27.
258 Mateh Ephraim (Kaddish 3:1); Sha’arei Ephraim 10:9. Rav S. Z. Auerbach explains that this Kaddish was specifically intended on behalf of those who died and do not have a relative to say Kaddish for them. This Kaddish, therefore, is not meant to be recited by an individual mourner or someone who has a yahrtzeit, unless he was called for the last aliyah (Halichos Shlomo, efillah 12:27).
259 Elef Hamagen (Kaddish 3:3); see also Sdei Chemed (Aveilus 163).
260 Orchos Rabbeinu (5774 ed.) vol. 1, pg. 143, citing Chazon Ish; Shevet Halevi VIII, 163:3.
261 Sha’arei Ephraim 7:38 with Sha’arei Rachamim 36.