Aaron Hart (rabbi)

Rabbi Aaron Uri Phoebus Hart (Hebrew: רבי אהרן אורי פײבוש הרט, romanized: Aharon Uri Feibush Hart;‎ 1670 – 1756) was a British rabbi, who served as spiritual leader of the Ashkenazi Great Synagogue of London from 1704 until his death.

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.

[2][3][5] Some point to the other of the two most powerful individuals: Abraham of Hamburg (also known as Reb Aberle) a gem dealer, who used his considerable rabbinical knowledge to intimidate the community's spiritual leaders.

Rabbi Hart responded by excommunicating Moses based on a 12th-century ruling which he claimed authorized him to do so.

Rabbis including Tzvi Ashkenazi and others expressed outrage, criticizing Hart's impetuous and excessive punishment.