On a day when we take out 2 Sifrei Torah do the Sephardim put both on the bima and open one and read from it leaving the other closed? Or do they put only one on the bima and leave the other in a different place before it's time to bring up to be read from.
(Please provide any sources and if there are different minhagim among different kehillas of Sephardim.)
I'm specifically looking to see if they in fact do put both Sifrei Torah on the bima at the same time.
The only difference that I am aware of that exists between Kehillot is that some have the custom to remove three Sifrei Torah all year round(see Divrei Shalom on the portion Minhagei Beit El, and Siddur Rechovot HaNahar Musaf Shabbat p.5).
Either way whenever more than one Torah is taken out the one that is being read from is opened and the others are placed alongside it on the Bimah. Sources Yalkut Yosef Moadim pps 256-267. Siddur Kol Yaakov by Rav Mordechai Eliyahu p 310.
The Spanish-Portuguese custom is uncommon, in that sifre tora are not placed in cases, but covered with jackets. The second sefer is held by someone who sits on the teba. However, unlike Ashkinazim, there is a qaddish when the reading is finished in each, i.e., the second sefer is not brought to the reading desk until after qaddish is said, then the first sefer is removed, and after the reading in the second sefer another qaddish is said.
