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 Rabbi Feivel Lebel
Meshullam Shraga Feivel Ben Yonah Leib Born 4 Tishrei 5697 / 11 August 1936 We mourn the loss of one of the foremost
Breslover Chassidim in America, Rabbi Feivel Lebel, z"l. After
several years of intermittent poor health, Reb Feivel was hospitalized before
Rosh Hashana, fell into a coma during Chol HaMoed Succos, and succumbed three
weeks later. Reb Feivel was a highly accomplished talmid
chacham in both nigleh (the revealed teachings) and nistar
(the hidden teachings), who privately taught several prominent Chassidic
scholars in Borough Park. He always worked in the field of rabbanus,
most recently as Rav HaMachshir and Jewish chaplain in Bennett Hospital in
Patterson, NJ. The Lebel family traces its name back to Rabbi
Yonah Mendelsohn of Pressburg, z"l, a talmid muvhak of the
revered Chasam Sofer. The latter instructed his disciple to change his surname
to Lo Yuval as in the verse, "V'alehu lo yuval… And his leaf
shall not wither" (Psalms 1:3). However, Rav Yonah's surname appears as
Lebel in Teshuvos Chasam Sofer, and Lebel it has remained until today.
Reb Feivel's other distinguished ancestors included Reb Dovid'l, the celebrated
Rebbe of Lelov, z"l, and Rav Ze'ev Minzberg, z"l, Av
Beis Din D'Adas HaChassidim of Jerusalem. His father was the prominent
Breslover Chassid, Reb Yonah Lebel, a close talmid of Reb Avraham
Sternhartz, z"l. As a youth Reb Feivel studied in the Chayei Olam
Yeshiva in Jerusalem, where at age 9, he mastered and memorized 40 blatt
gemora with Rashi and Tosefos. This extraordinary accomplishment was
written up in the Jerusalem Charedi newspapers. Later, the young illui
(genius) studied b'chavrusa (one-on-one) with Rav Avraham Sternhartz,
and with his great-grandfather, Rav Ze'ev Minzberg, in the Katamon section of
Jerusalem. As a teenager, he was close with Rav Isser Zalman Meltzer,
z"l, of Eitz Chaim Yeshiva, as well. Reb Feivel was a lifelong friend and former chavrusa
of the now world-famous Rabbi Yaakov Meir Schechter, shlita, of the
Sha'ar Shomayim Yeshiva in Jerusalem, who over the years remarked to more than
one Breslover, "From Reb Feivel you can learn Biur HaLikutim."
The latter work, written by Reb Avraham Ben Nachman of Tulchin, z"l
(d. 1919), is one of the most profound and difficult commentaries on Likutei
Moharan. Another former chavrusa was the noted talmid
chacham and Posek, Rav Velvel Chetchik, z"l, of Yeshivas Brisk,
who shortly before his passing told Reb Feivel's oldest son, R' Aharon Nachman:
"In all the debates we had in learning 30 years ago, I now realize that
your father's view was always correct. As for Reb Feivel's mother, Rebbetzin
Chana, of blessed memory, a third of the world rests upon the merit of her gemilus
chasadim (acts of kindness) alone." Reb Feivel came to America in 1969, while in his
early thirties. Resolute in his commitment to the derech (spiritual
path) of Breslov Chassidus, he became close to Rabbi Eliezer Shlomo Schick, shlita, of Mosdos Heichal HaKodesh, whom he greatly admired for his dedication to
disseminating Rebbe Nachman's teachings. Reb Feivel's diligence in Torah study did not
lapse in America, either. Every year, he studied anew each masechta
(tractate) of the Gemora related to the next holiday in the annual cycle, in
addition to his other sedorim in learning. He was especially expert in
Kodashim, and in the detailed procedures of the Beis HaMikdosh. Reb Feivel and his Rebbetzin were also known for
their chesed, regularly inviting guests from all walks of life to their
Shabbos table. In fact, shortly after the shiva, the
manager of a local kosher restaurant asked one of Reb Feivel's sons why he had
not seen his father for such a long time. Upon hearing the bad news, the
restaurateur revealed that every week his father used to come to him before
Shabbos and buy all the unsold food. He then would bring the food to one of the
local yeshivos in which a number of poor bochurim (unmarried
youths) from Eretz Yisrael were enrolled.
He leaves behind his beloved Rebbetzin Malka
Lebel, and their sons, R' Aharon Nachman, R' Yoel Nosan, R' Yonah Leib, and R'
Ze'ev Chaim. A daughter, Yenteh Leah, was tragically killed in an automobile
accident in 1983. May Hashem comfort the entire Lebel family among
the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem. |