i think something very relevant which has not been mentioned, and especially missing from pfs arguments are the following. PF ridiculously suggests that being that Joe Hershkowitz and Steve Cohen are different in their talent levels, we can assume that Rashi and Rabbeinu Tam were as well, and from that natural difference stemmed all their further differences, whether in writing style, brevity, or actual psak.
Let me ask you this: would you say the same thing about Ravina and Rav Ashi? Beis Hillel and Beis Shammai? I hope not.
Why indeed not? Because we believe that just as tora shebiksav is m’sinai, so too tora shebaal pen is misinai, meaning yes, both shitas bees shammai and bees hillel are misinai. Therefore, there is no contradiction to the fact that bzman hazeh we follow b”h, and l’osid lavo we will follow b”s. Shivim panim ltorah, each are different expressions of the tora and of ratzon hashem, bzman hazeh we are in a world most befitting the interpretation of b”h leosid lavo, the world will be on a level compatible with the explanation of b”s. Both are absolute and correct.
What about the rishonim. The chida (and Ibelieve R”C volozhiner as well) are both quoted as saying that there is no way the Rambam intended all the things that were explained by the mefarshim in Yad. But they are nevertheless valid. Why? Because the words of the rishonim were (wait for it) written by ruach hakodesh. Hashem himself orchestrated these words to be written and studied for generations. The Rambam was so oseik in torah up to the point that the rambam himself became wholly connected to the torah, and the words that he wrote were the words of torah themselves.
This is not to say that anyone who lived in the 1200s is automatically of status. But I’m pretty sure rashi, rabbeinu tam, ramban , and the rishonim who comprise what has klal yisrael has studied for generations are included. We do not study Ramban’s interpretation of the Torah, we study the torah OF the ram ban.
I am afraid your viewpoint, pulsating flower, comes from your John q jew comparison. The rishonim (and for that matter all gedolim) were not john q, just better. They were representatives and mouthpieces of Hashem himself.