Getting an Aliyah

I am nervous to be called to the Torah because I am not sure what to do. Can you please explain what I am supposed to do?

Shalom! 

Thank you for your question.

this is the basic halachot on what to do when receiving an Aliyah.

The one receiving the Aliyah is known as the “oleh.” The oleh is shown the place where his reading begins, 

(some have the custem to touch and kiss that spot with his tallit or the Torah gartel. One should be very careful, however, to ensure that one doesn’t accidentally smudge or erase a letter when doing so. At the conclusion of one’s aliya, one should kiss the place where the reading ended the same way as before).

close the scroll before reciting the blessings. 

It is customary to turn one’s face slightly toward the left side, some have the custom to close their eyes when reciting the blessings over the Torah, lest it appear that the blessings are actually part of the Torah text.  

One should grasp the Torah by the atzei chaim when reciting the blessings and continue to hold the right eitz chaim throughout the entire reading. 

The oleh should read along quietly with the ba’al koreh. 

(After the bracha the Torah should be covered if there will be an extended delay between one aliya and the next, such as for singing or Mi Shebeirachs). 

One must ensure that the congregation can hear one’s blessings loudly and clearly.

 It is noted that the blessings recited before and after the Torah reading have a combined total of forty words. This is said to allude to the forty days that Moshe Rabbeinu spent on Mount Sinai to receive the Torah. 

Both the ba’al koreh and the oleh must be standing when the Torah is read, and they should be careful not to lean on the shulchan. 

If you want to know exactly what bracha to say and how, please write back so we can guide you further.

OC 139,141 with commentaries.