RIETS Musmakh Rabbi Ephraim Meth Celebrates Second Completion of Shas at YU The new semester is underway at Yeshiva University—and it began with the celebration of a milestone in Torah learning.

Rabbi Ephraim Meth

Rabbi Ephraim Meth, a 2012 graduate of YU’s Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary, who continues his studies in the beit midrash as a RIETS Kollel Fellow, shared his most recent completion of shas with the entire YU community at a siyum [celebration] in the beit midrash of the Jacob and Dreizel Glueck Center for Jewish Studies on January 22. Rabbi Meth has led a daf yomi shiur as well as other shiurim at YU and also authored three seforim [books] on Talmudic topics. He chose to celebrate his accomplishment at YU because of the role the yeshiva here has comprised in his learning growth and development. “I wanted to show other students how far you can come at Yeshiva,” he said. “I don’t think you get the warmth, the expertise and the availability of such great Roshei Yeshiva and chaveirim [friends] anywhere else. This is a wonderful place to learn and I grew a tremendous amount here.” Especially influential to Rabbi Meth’s learning have been Rabbi Michael Rosensweig, Rosh Yeshiva and Nathan and Perel Schupf Chair of Talmud at RIETS, and Rabbi Hershel Schachter, Rosh Yeshiva at RIETS. “I owe a lot to them in terms of my methodology and curriculum—they were formational,” said Rabbi Meth. “On behalf of the entire Yeshiva, I want to thank Rabbi Meth for setting the tone for this new zman [semester],” said Rabbi Menachem Penner, acting dean of RIETS, who spoke at the siyum. “There are no greater accomplishments than accomplishments in Torah learning. This is a testament to learning for learning’s sake. And while it is wonderful to be able to celebrate a siyum at the end of a semester, it is even more special to be able to do so at the beginning when the accomplishments of one talmid [student] can help inspire so many others.”