In earlier generations, when people knew their day of death, they would occupy themselves with Torah the entire day and Satan would have no rule over them. Yet, nowadays, we find that people die while in the midst of studying.
Know! that if the study is proper, then [Satan] certainly has no power [to harm the person]. However, if the study is improper, particularly the study of Talmud—if the study is improper, then [Satan] receives extra strength from it. This is because TaLMUD has the same numerical value as the letters of her name, LYLYT (Lilith). Therefore, the study of Talmud has the potential to either subjugate her or [do] the opposite, God forbid.
בַּדּוֹרוֹת הָרִאשׁוֹנִים, כְּשֶׁהָיוּ יוֹדְעִים יוֹם מִיתָתָם, הָיוּ עוֹסְקִים בַּתּוֹרָה כָּל הַיּוֹם, וְלֹא הָיָה שְׁלִיטָה לְהַבַּעַל דָּבָר עֲלֵיהֶם, וְעַכְשָׁו מָצִינוּ בְּנֵי אָדָם שֶׁמֵּתוּ בְּאֶמְצַע לִמּוּדָם.
In earlier generations, when people knew their day of death, they would occupy themselves with Torah the entire day and Satan would have no rule over them. Yet, nowadays, we find that people die while in the midst of studying.
דַּע שֶׁאִם הַלִּמּוּד כַּהֹגֶן, בְּוַדַּאי אֵין לוֹ שׁוּם כֹּחַ, אֲבָל אִם אֵין הַלִּמּוּד כָּרָאוּי, בִּפְרָט לִמּוּד גְּמָרָא, אִם אֵין הַלִּמּוּד כָּרָאוּי, אֲזַי הוּא מְקַבֵּל יוֹתֵר כֹּחַ מֵהַלִמּוּד, כִּי תַּלְמוּד בְּגִימַטְרִיָּא אוֹתִיּוֹת שֶׁל שְׁמָהּ "לִילִית", עַל־כֵּן יֵשׁ כֹּחַ בְּלִמּוּד הַתַּלְמוּד אוֹ לְהַכְנִיעַ אוֹתָהּ אוֹ לְהֶפֶךְ, חַס וְשָׁלוֹם:
Know! that if the study is proper, then [Satan] certainly has no power [to harm the person]. However, if the study is improper, particularly the study of Talmud—if the study is improper, then [Satan] receives extra strength from it. This is because TaLMUD has the same numerical value as the letters of her name, LYLYT (Lilith). Therefore, the study of Talmud has the potential to either subjugate her or [do] the opposite, God forbid.