Rav Oshaya's Son and the Unnamed Kallah

Tosfos (Kiddushin 52a) recount a fascinating story that occurred with Rav Oshaya HaLevi’s son. Details are somewhat sketchy, but the following may be what occurred.

There was a wealthy individual with several daughters. Someone suggested that Rav Oshaya’s son might be a good match for one of the daughters. Rav Oshaya’s son checked out the family and thought that one of the wealthy man’s daughters would make a good shidduch. It seems that the father specifically agreed to allow the prospective chassan to marry his oldest daughter. However, it is unclear if there ever was a formal agreement. The wealthy man was authorized to act as an agent on behalf of his daughters to accept kiddushin. In other words, his future sons-in-law were expected to give the wedding bands to him instead of to their kallos directly. Rav Oshaya’s son followed this procedure, handing the wealthy man a ring and declaring: “Your daughter is betrothed to me.” He failed to specify the daughter he intended to marry. Which daughter is he married to?

This incident caused quite an uproar. A well-respected sage declared that the poor chassan is, in a way, possibly married to all of the man’s daughters. Therefore, he can marry none of them. The sage ruled that all of the man’s daughters require a get from this poor bachur. Furthermore, even after he gives the gittin, he is not allowed to marry any of them. The sage reasoned that neither the boy nor the father verbalized at the time of kiddushin which daughter was getting married. One of the daughters is, in fact, married to him, and the remaining girls are forbidden to the chassan because they are his wife’s sisters. Since we cannot go back in time and clarify which daughter was intended, sadly, he may not marry any of them.