Most people are aware that Hebrew has 3 tenses: Past, present, future. However most people are unaware that there are over a dozen meanings of tenses. Consider the following two sentences: I am walking to synagogue versus I walk to synagogue every day. The first sentence - I am walking to synagogue - indicates something happening now, in the present, while the second sentence, I walk to synagogue every day indicates something habitual.

We can summarize this as follows: There are at least two types of present: A simple present - I am walking to synagogue - and a habitual present - I walk to synagogue every day. We will refer to these as verb semantics or verb meanings. They are the types of meaning that a verb can have.

By contrast the form in which we write the verb - walk, walking, walked, will walk, did walk - will be referred to as the verb conjugations.

The challenge in learning grammar is to learn which verb conjugations go with which verb meanings. Most people are unaware that Hebrew uses the same conjugation for multiple meanings!!!!

Because this concept is complicated let me re-summarize it with the examples given above: The sentences I walk to synagogue every day and I am walking to synagogue illustrate two verb meanings: simple present activity and habitual activity. The verb forms - walk, walking are two verb conjugations, forms. In English walking is a verb form, conjugation associated with the verb meaning of something done at the present time while walk is a verb form, conjugation associated with the verb meaning of a habitual activity.

Scholars have erroneously not distinguished between verb meaning and form. This has created complications. However once you distinguish many things become clear. Todays example illustrates this.

Prefixing a tauv is a verb conjugation, form. One usage of this form is to indicate a future activity. But the same conjugation can also indicate a habitual activity. This explains the following Rashi: If we interpret the prefix Tauv as indicating a future activity then we would translate Dt15-19:20a as All the firstling males that come of your herd and of your flock you shall sanctify to the Lord your God; you shall do no work with the firstling of your bulls, nor shear the firstling of your sheep. You should eat it before the Lord your God year by year in the place which the Lord shall choose, you and your household. However the future conjugation in Hebrew can also have a meaning of habitual present. Consequently we translate the verses as follows: All the firstling males that come of your herd and of your flock you shall sanctify to the Lord your God; you shall do no work with the firstling of your bulls, nor shear the firstling of your sheep. One eats it before the Lord your God year by year in the place which the Lord shall choose, you and your household. Notice how we mirrored the Rashi comment with the English conjugations of eat and eats.

Advanced Rashi: Note the contrast: English indicates the habitual with the present conjugation while Hebrew indicates the habitual with the future conjugation. Both approaches are logical. After all if I walk to synagogue every day I am walking there today(Now). But it is equally logical that in the future I will be walking there. The proper approach is to sharply differentiate between form/conjugation and meaning. Whatever conjugation is used, it should be translated, in other languages, to reflect meaning. Hence we have translated One eats the firstborn in Jerusalem.

But how do we know the Bible isn't commanding us to eat our firstborn flock in Jerusalem? This Rashi is continued in rule #5, contradiction below.