Born in Zietil (Dyatlovo),
he achieved a reputation already when a student in
Mezhirech, Poland. His reputation spread and he journeyed
throughout Eastern Europe where his eloquence and wisdom
drew large crowds. Kranz served in various towns including
Zilkiew, Wlodowa, Kalisz and Zamosc but was best known in
Dubno where he remained for 18 years (1768-1786) and for the
rest of his life was preacher in Zamosc, Poland. A natural
storyteller, he created hundreds of parables and moral
stories, which he used in his sermons. After hearing him
preaching in Berlin, Moses Mendelssohn called him "the
Jewish Aesop" (although he did not use animal imagery for
his parables). Another admirer was the Gaon of Vilna who
invited him to Vilna in 1790, after he had fallen ill, "to
entertain and revive him". His works were collected and
published after his death by his son and a pupil.
Bibliography:
KRANZ, Jacob ben Wolf. Ohel Yaakov: al
Hamishah Humshe Torah, beurim, derushim,u-meshalim, neesfu nilketu
ve-nisderu be-metav higayon ve-hearot yekarot / kol eleh paal Avraham Berosh Flohm. Varsho: bi-defus Y. Goldman, 1874.
VILBER, Y. H. Kovets Mishle ha-Magid mi-Dubna.
2 vols. Jerusalem, 1980?
TUKATSINSKI, Ts. A. (Tsevi Aryeh).
Mishle ha-Magid mi-Dubna ha-shalem Yaakov Krants. 3 vols.
Yerushalayim: Yeshivat Ir David, 1982
Links:
The
Dubno Maggid on Parshat Vayeitzei
Farbrengen with
Rabbi Ginsberg - Chasing Away the Dogs Within
