Lamed - The Ox Goad

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	Lamed - Ox goad, airy, libra, equilibration, work, action, karma, faithful intelligence, balance
	Mem - Water, water, Neptune, reversal, stable intelligence, substance
	Daleth - Door, Copper, Venus, creative imagination, luminous intelligence, wisdom and folly

Lamed (LMD) is said to mean "Ox goad". Ox goad in Hebrew is actually malmud - (MLMD) which has the derived meaning of "Teacher". The student of the malmud is the limud (LIMD) - disciple. So lamed refers to both learning and teaching. You probably have hear of the related noun - Talmud - the book of Rabinnical interpretations of the Torah - the first five books of the Old Testament. Lamed as a prefix means "to, for, according to". One of the basic words beginning with Lamed is Lo - (LA - lamed, aleph) meaning "no/not". This is the word in the commandments translated "Thou shalt not". It refers to the necessity for limitation (cheth) of expression. Note that in the tableau, Cheth - the Chariot is in the top right. Lamed - Justice is in the center. These imply that the third in this sequence is Ayin - the Devil. One interpretation: By correctly limiting and protecting, we can balance and resolve the apparent state of bondage to external appearances.
However, Lo (lamed-aleph) can also be read "to God/to the One Life". If we apply this interpretation to the commandments, we find some very interesting interpretations. Instead of "Thou shalt not ...", we would have "Thou shalt unto God (do these things). Perhaps this may mean that those things that otherwise produce sin may not do so if they are offered and done unto God?

Lamed is the second serpent letter. In the first, teth, the serpent is still coiled up. Here in lamed, it is uncoiled. When the serpent energy is uncoiled, it is active. Compare this with thev attribution on Lamed with action and karma.

"The teaching is that stillness generates creativity."
"Guide me into the still place of creation."
"Right action leads to that place of peace where love dwells."

Lamed is the teacher's pointer, the ox-goad, the prod that gets us moving. I imagine holding the curved bottom of the letter and prodding the ox with the yod on top.