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The king of the Maggidim, Kab- b. Jacob b. Wolf Kranz (1741- 1804), was popularly known as the Dubner Maggid. His contempor aries, Rabbi Jonathan Ebbershutz, Rabbi Eliezer Fleckles and Rabbi Judah b. Bezalel, were outstand ing preachers. Rabbi Krantz occu pied posts in Messeritz, Zolkiev, Wlodawa, Kalisch and Zamosc. He has come down to posterity as the Maggid of Dubno—a town in Vol- hynia where he spent 18 years. He was the most popular preacher of bis generation. Even Rabbi Elijah b. Solomon, the Wilna Gaon (1720- 1797 enjoyed his company and de lighted in his homilies. He made use of the Mashal- — the parable,, homely illustration to drive home his lesson and through them a niche in the hearts of his people. A few examples of his methods will suffice. We read in Deuteronomy (Chap ter XIII) “All this word which 1 commend you, ye shall observe to do: thou shalt not add thereto nor diminish from it.” The Dubner comments: "We can well under stand the anxiety of the Lawgiver lest the people diminish from it and fail to observe one of the 613 commandments. What, however, is the purpose of stressing ‘Thou shalt not add?’ Is there harm in being over meticulous in the fulfilment of God’s Law?” With a Mashal he illuminated the Biblical passage. A man once asked his neighbor for the loan of a pot. On the fol lowing day, the borrower grate fully returned two pots. “Why are you giving me two pots? Surely I only gave you one.” “The pot you gave me,” was the rejoinder, “gave birth to another pot.” Some time later the same man borrow ed a bowl, and again he returned two with the explanation that the bowl begot another one. Eventual ly he asked for the loan of a pair of expensive silver candlesticks. Some time elapsed and the preci ous objects were not returned. Anxiously the lender inquired for them. “My friend,” he was sol emnly told “I regret to inform you that the candlesticks are dead.” “My candlesticks are dead! How can inanimate objects die?” Well, you believed that the pots and the bowls had given birth to pots and bowls; you can also believe that candlesticks are mortal. “Similar ly,” concluded the Dubner Maggid “If one adds to the Laws, there is the danger that one might event ually detract from them.” On Rosh Hashonah and Yom Kippur, the Dubner brought home to his listeners the true signifi cance of the “Days of Awe.” There was once a peasant who lived in the country. He was sim ple, unsophisticated, entirely un worldly. Once he ventured to visit the city of Minsk. He felt almost intoxicated with the sights of the big town, the houses, the streets, the shops; a new world was open ing before his very eyes. Sudden ly he observed a man beating a very large drum. On inquiring, he was told that a fire had broken out in the town. The peasant was greatly impressed. With all his available resources he purchased a big drum, and returned happily to his native villagers were athirst for news. He was overwhelmed with questions and many earnest ly and persistently solicited for his impressions of town life. The peasant, however, was not respon sive. Nothing would induce him to part with his newly acquired knowledge. Eventually he said. “Wait till a fire breaks out. I have a new method for putting out fires.” His wish was fulfilled soon er than he had dared to hope. A fire broke out in the village. The inhabitants of the village were about to rush for buckets and water. To their amazement, they were obstructed by the peasant. ‘I have a new way of putting out fires’ he exclaimed. He brought out his drum and incessantly began to beat it. Naturally the entire vil lage was burned down. The peas ant then realized, alas too late, that the drum was merely a meth od of arousing the people, and that by itself it is powerless and no avail. Similarly,” continued the Preacher “it is not enough to beat your breasts on Yom Kippur and to recite ‘For the transgressions’ that we have transgressed ... we have to become truly penitent." On another occasion, he used another mashal. ‘There was once a timber merchant, a Jew, who was blessed, as was customary then, with a very large family. He would buy his wood on credit from a wholesaler in Danzig and every year before Rosh Hashanah would go to his creditor to pay him and to take a new stock on credit. This was his custom for many years. Then once a calamity overtook him and his entire stock was burned down. The man was in a great di lemma. He was faced with the prospect of starvation; he could neither pay back his debts nor find the courage to ask his creditor for a new supply. The vision of his starving children and demanding wife gave him courage. He went to his creditor and burst into tears. He told him that he was not in a position to repay him nor did he feel justified in asking for new credit. He was, however, pleasant ly surprised when he was told that his entire debt would be remitted and that a new stock would be given him. Overjoyed, the man stopped at an inn and told the peo ple that, as a result of his tears and supplications, he had been generously rewarded; his debts were cancelled and he was actual ly given a new supply of goods. When one of the people at the inn heard this he rushed to the bene factor and he too cried very bit terly. He exclaimed his dire eco nomic plight but was, however, a very small donation. The man brazenly remonstrated “The men who preceded me cried to you, and you were so generous and full of human pity. Why, 1 pray you are you so sparing with me?” "Well,” said the wholesaler, “How dare you compare yourself to him? He was my reliable customer for many years; he was regular in his pay ments; he was honest, decent and hardworking; now that a calamity has overtaken him I naturally have to be generous and kind. However, I hardly know you, a complete stranger to me: how can you expect me to give more than a small donation?” So the Dubner said “Our fathers and forefathers were regular customers of the Al mighty, and if, in the course of the year, they committed sins of either omission or commission, they were fully aware of the credits and the dividends that the Almighty owed them. What about ourselves? Are we God’s custo mers? ...” These were some of the Mesh- alim through which the Dubner endeavored to bring back the chil dren of Israel to their father in Heaven. the Preacher of Dubno by H. RABINOWICZ