Moses Fischer was born in Prague to Meir Fischels [he], a wealthy Talmudic scholar and a descendent of Judah Loew ben Bezalel.[1]
Fischer was active in the Haskalah movement in Prague, and was a member of the Gesellschaft der jungen Hebräer.[2] In addition to Talmud, Fischer studied philosophy and mathematics, and was praised for his proficiency in logic and Hebrew grammar by Moses Mendelssohn, with whom he corresponded. Together with Raphael Joel [Wikidata], Fischer in 1790 signed a petition to allow Jews to serve in the military, prioritizing it over meticulous religious observance.[2]
Fischer later transitioned to Orthodoxy, and served as an unofficial rabbi and mashgiach in Vienna from 1816. In 1827 or 1829,[2] he relocated to Eisenstadt, a nearby town, where he died around 1833.
His son was the historian Marcus Fischer [he].
