By Rabbi Yair Hoffman for 5tjt.com

Rav Yeruchem Levovitz zt”l first studied under the Alter of Slabodka for 3 years and then he studied at the Yeshiva in Kelm. The schedule in Kelm was very precise.  Shacharis lasted for an hour and a half.  This author is assuming that this reference is to Mondays and Thursdays.  After Shacharis, there was a mussar seder in the Orchos Chaim of the Rosh.  This seder was seven days a week.

First Seder was from 10:00 AM until 3:00 PM.  At that point, the Yeshiva davened Mincha which took 30 minutes.

Second Seder began an hour after mincha at 4:30 PM.  It lasted until 9:00 PM.

After second seder was another Mussar Seder that lasted until 10:00 PM.

At 10:00 PM the yeshiva davened Maariv.  It lasted a half of an hour until 10L30 PM.

When Rav Yeruchem first arrived in Kelm, his chavrusa was Rav Naftoli Trop, who later became the Rosh HaYeshiva in the Chofetz Chaim’s Yeshiva in Radin.

There were, of course, many differences between Slabodka and Kelm.  One fascinating difference was that in Slabodka the term “mentsch” meant something even greater than the celestial malachim themselves.  Not so in Kelm. In Kelm the term meant that everyone is human and can make mistakes.  This difference came to light most when the Alter of Slabodka had hired Rav Leib Chasman to be a Mashgiach in the Hevron branch of Slabodka.

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