May Children Below Bar Mitzvah Age Read from the Torah?

Greetings, The Ashkenazi custom is generally not to allow a child to read from the Torah unless there is no other reader available and the Torah reading would be completely omitted (see Mishnah Berurah, Siman 282, Se'if 13). According to the opinion of Harav Ovadia Yosef zt"l, a child from six years and older, who knows to whom the blessings are directed, may ascend to the Torah for a Minyan of seven aliyot, whether in the middle or at the end of the readings. Indeed, such a child can be called for the Maftir aliyah and may recite his own Torah portion for that aliyah. In places where there is a clear custom not to call up children to the Torah, they should follow their custom; however, if the community is uncertain whether they have a fixed custom to be stringent, they may call up a child and allow him to read his own aliyah in order to train and accustom him to the cantillation. Nonetheless, initially, it is not permitted for a child to serve as the chazan and read the entire Torah portion. Only in pressing circumstances where there is no adult who knows the Torah reading with proper cantillation may one rely on leniencies (see Hilchot Olam, Part 3, page 160). Blessings, Hillel Meirs