Feivel is a Yiddish boys’ name, meaning “bright,” “light,” or “shining.” The original (and still used) form of this name is Feivish, a corruption of phoeubus, “bright,” in Greek.
Feivel is often appended to Uri (Hebrew for “fire”) or Shraga (Aramaic for “lamp”). The use of light-themed names traces back to the Talmudic era, if not earlier, when there were great sages with names like Meir and Nehorai, which mean “luminary” in Hebrew and Aramaic respectively.
The Chassidic masters teach that it only takes a small amount of light to illuminate the darkness, encouraging us to add light to the world via good deeds and spreading Judaism, which will ultimately redeem us from the dark exile and bring us to the time of Redemption.
Famous People With Your Name
Rabbi Meshulam Feivish of Zabriza was an 18th-century Chassidic master, a great Torah scholar and a mystic, who studied at the feet of the Maggid of Mezritch. He authored several books and several of his students became masters in their own right, notably Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Kosov.
See: The Man Who Gave Charity to Himself
Reb Shraga Feivel Mendlowitz (1886–1948) was a pioneering Orthodox Jewish educator who played a crucial role in establishing advanced Torah learning in America. He founded Mesivta Torah Vodaath in Brooklyn, as well as multiple other yeshivahs and Torah institutions.
Fun Fact
Despite their similarity, the names Feitel and Feivel are not related.
Tosher rebbe was named Meshulem Feish, after his great grandfather
its a corruption of Feivish.
if i am not mistaken, there is a copy of a holy book, which belonged to Rabbi Feish. he marked his name on top of pages which entails the letter bet. surrounding the bet, he wrote his name Feish. splitting the name, interpolating the bet before the shin, which is the last letter. in a manner which reads Feivish instead of Feish. seems that the rov who passed away about 1873 was aware of the fact that his name is a corruption of Feivish!