Born in a province of Vilna, Jacob ben Wolf Kranz showed exceptional homiletical and Kabbalistic talents at an early age, and by the age of twenty became the darshan of his city.
From there, he began preaching through the cities of around Lublin in Poland, finally settling in Dubnow. His reputation as a maggid (preacher) spread, bringing him in contact with the great rabbis of the period, including the Vilna Gaon. The majority of his works were in homiletics, using stories and parables to transmit deeper ethical and moral teachings.
Sources: Orthodox Union