In 1833, Lerner became a disciple of Wolf Adelsohn, who had gathered a group of Maskilim in Dubno to study Hebrew grammar and philosophy.

He relocated to Odessa in 1835 and enrolled in Bezaleel Stern [he; de]'s model school, where Simḥah Pinsker instructed him in Hebrew grammar.

He taught in Radzivilov from 1841 to 1849, and was appointed government teacher for the Jewish public school in Berdychev on November 16, 1849.

[2] Lerner's legacy in the field of Hebrew grammar is primarily attributed to his work Moreh ha-Lashon.

[2] He was also a frequent contributor of articles and poetry to the Hebrew press, including the journals Ha-Maggid, Ha-Karmel, Ha-Melitz, Ha-Shaḥar, and Ha-Boker Or [Wikidata].