Editing Debate (section)

== Among Our Rebbeim ==

==== Lvov Debate ====
After the Frankist sect failed and surrendered to the church, on the 26th of Tamuz 5519 (1759), a public debate took place led by the Baal Shem Tov, his disciples and Chassidim, headed by Rabbi Chaim HaCohen Rappaport. According to letters in the Kherson archives, the Baal Shem Tov himself was present at the debate (as Rabbi Yaakov Emden also believed in his work "Maaseh Nora B'Podolia"), however from the Rebbe Rayatz's notes it appears that he was not personally present.

==== Shklov Debate ====
Among the places that the Alter Rebbe visited to spread Chassidic teachings was the town of Shklov, which he visited several times.

During his first visit, the misnagdim (opponents) agreed to debate and accept the Chassidic approach if they were defeated. When the debate began and the misnagdim saw they were going to lose, they seized the Alter Rebbe and his companion and locked them in a cellar.

During his second visit, which took place between the years 5538-5540 (1778-1780), after defeating them in Torah study, he told them: "When one knows the concepts of Torah as they exist in the higher worlds above, one automatically knows their interpretation below in this world." Following this debate, about ten talented young married men were drawn to Chassidic teachings and became Chabad Chassidim (among them R' Pinchas Reizes, son of the town rabbi). This enraged the misnagdim, and as a result of this debate, the Minsk debate was arranged.

==== Minsk Debate (5543/1783) ====
The great debate in Minsk was the central debate conducted by the Alter Rebbe in 5543 (1783) in the town of Minsk, against the great misnagdim who opposed Chassidic teachings, representing the disciples of the Maggid of Mezritch. In this debate, the Alter Rebbe defeated the misnagdim and gave them crushing responses to all their questions.

As a result of this debate, hundreds of young married men were drawn to Chassidic teachings, and true opposition from the Torah giants among the misnagdim decreased, as they realized that the leader of the Chassidic movement was a tremendous genius and scholar, and that all his ways were founded on faith in Hashem without any deviation from traditional Jewish practices.

==== The Epistle of Debate and Peace ====
"The Epistle of Debate and Peace" is a treatise addressing the misnagdim's arguments against the Chassidic movement and calling for peace between the two camps. The epistle was published by R' Baruch Balov Yafit of Petersburg, and included a summary of the words of a "Gaon Rabbi" on the subject. According to several testimonies, the epistle was written by the Tzemach Tzedek. Yehoshua Mondshine claimed that the style of the epistle does not match the Tzemach Tzedek's style and is not his.

During the Rebbe Rashab's journey to visit the gravesites of our Rebbeim, he met with Rabbi Shlomo Ahrenson on 1 Shevat 5663 (1903) in Nezhin. During their meeting, a debate began between them about Zionism, with Rabbi Ahrenson supporting Zionism and the Rebbe Rashab opposing it.