In Moed Kattan [18b] Shmuel says that one may get married on the moed lest someone beat him to it and get the girl. The gemara then asks that Shmuel himself says that one's mate is already determined by a bas kol, so why is there a concern that someone will take his bashert?
Asks Taysfes [in Litvishe Yeshivos Tosfos is called Taysfes. In Tziyoni yeshivos it is Tosa-fot] why the gemara doesn't answer simply as per the gemara in Sotah that there is a difference between zivug rishon and zivug sheni [we explained those terms in an earlier, recent post]. The bas kol only announces one's zivug rishon while one's zivug sheni is up in this air and thus there is a concern that someone will take her first?!
Tosfos doesn't answer.
The Acharonim have a veritable field day.
- If the gemara would have answered that way it would emerge that one is not allowed to marry zivug rishon on chol hamoed and Shmuel implies that one may always marry on Chol Hamoed.
- The gemara preferred its own answer, namely that if one davens he can marry someone elses bashert. [The simple meaning is that with tfilla one can take even someone's zivug rishon, even though Rashi doesn't learn that way, see ד"ה כפרת בה].
- That IS the gemara's answer; If one davens then he can beat his friend to it in zivug sheni where tfilla is effective.
And much much more....
