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Who Did the Jews Argue With?
Like in Ashkenaz, some sages in Sepharad were coerced
into debating theological issues with Jews who had converted to Christianity.
In 1263, King James of Aragon witnessed such a debate
between Nachmanides (Rabbi Moses ben Nachman) and the convert Pablo Christiani.
Although Nachmanides won the debate, he was forced to flee Spain.
In 1413, the convert Joshua Lorki organized a public debate in the city of Tortosa.
In that disputation as well, the arguments made by the Jewish sages were rejected and it ended with the censorship of the Talmud,
the reinstatement of anti-Jewish edicts and the conversion of many Jews to Christianity.
