FRANCES, ISAAC

FRANCES, ISAAC (18th century), preacher and the author of a collection of sermons, Penei Yiẓḥak (Salonika, 1753). No details are known of his life or where he lived. The sermons are based on the weekly portions of the Pentateuch, but there is usually more than one sermon for each portion, indicative of the author's long preaching career. Although Frances was influenced by the Kabbalah, often quoting and discussing kabbalistic sources in his sermons, he was not exclusively a kabbalist. He used both contemporary and ancient rabbinic sources extensively and even made some use of medieval philosophical writings, demonstrating the eclectic attitude common among 18th-century preachers. Frances's sermons are didactic, sometimes tending toward theological discourses, but more usually they are designed to foster the ethical improvement of his community, laying great emphasis on decent social behavior. (Joseph Dan)