He was born in Breslau, Silesia, to Hartwig Moses Hart (also known as Naphtali Hertz of
Hamburg) who was a rabbi at Breslau and later at Hamburg. After studying at a
yeshiva in Poland, he married the daughter of R.
Samuel ben Phoebus of
Fürth, author of the
Beit Shmuel, a commentary on
Eben ha'Ezer. Moses turned to other Rabbis who agreed that his excommunication should not stand. Rabbis including
Tzvi Ashkenazi and others expressed outrage, criticizing Hart's impetuous and excessive punishment. However, Abraham of Hamburg prevailed on the weak-willed Hart to maintain the excommunication. Moses was forced to start a rival synagogue, later known as the Hambro synagogue. In 1707, Hart published a defense of his position titled
Urim ve-Tummim. It is notable for being the first book printed entirely in Hebrew in London. Rabbi Jochanan Holleschau, one of the Rabbis that sided with Moses, wrote a rebuttal called ''Ma'aseh Rav''. A portrait of Rabbi Hart hangs in the
National Portrait Gallery in London. ==Notes==