Avi K,
1. Litvish/Yeshivish and Chassidish people are much more tolerant than they are given credit for. There seems to be an assumption among many MO that those to the right of them are intolerant and close-minded, which is completely untrue. Many MO people have appropriated the title of “Tolerant and Open-minded” for themselves, even as they refuse to perceive the reality of how other people act.
Davening at a certain self-described MO Shul once, I was given the honor of Pesicha on a Monday morning. The Gabbai told me, “the cord on the left opens the curtain, and the cord on the right closes it. People on the left are open-minded, and people on the right are close-minded.” I responded that this is the most close-minded thing I’ve ever heard.
I have chavrusas, friends and close relatives who are MO, and some who are RZ. We have excellent relationships. This is because we can tolerate differences. Knowing that we all have strong convictions in the ?”? ??????, we accept happily that we see things differently.
2. I never heard of the Sefer ??? ??????, let alone that it was the catalyst for the ???. I did not read the entire ???, but it seems to be devoted to exposing three individuals who were supporters of Shabbetai Zvi. The Sefer was published in ???, when the Ba’al Shem Tov was only 10 years old.