Julian Ungar-Sargon

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Daf Ditty

A wide-ranging commentary on the daily page of Talmud.

Functional Neuroanatomy of Grief

Moed Katan 24: Infant Loss

jyungar February 5, 2022

For the source text click/tap here: Moed Katan 24

To download, click/tap here: PDF

The traditions associated with the burial and mourning of a baby who died less than 30 days after birth differ from normal customs. Specifically, the Gemara teaches that such a child is carried to the cemetery in a woman’s arms, rather than in a coffin, and the statements of consolation are not uttered, neither in the cemetery nor in the home.

These differences stem from the possibility that a child who perishes after less than one month is considered a stillborn.

We explore the particular halachos of fetal and newborn deaths then move on to how grief differs between fathers and mothers.

We review the neurobiology of grief and the functional anatomy that subtends this most excruciating loss imaginable.

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Julian Ungar-Sargon

This is Julian Ungar-Sargon's personal website. It contains poems, essays, and podcasts for the spiritual seeker and interdisciplinary aficionado.​