ירמיהו, פרק ט״ז, פסוק ו׳

The scale of the coming disaster will bring about a total collapse of normal life, creating a reality where even the most basic human traditions of honoring the dead will vanish. Death will strike indiscriminately across all ages and social classes. Because the loss of life will be so massive, the very concept of mourning will lose its place [רש״י], and the sheer number of casualties will make burials impossible [מצודת דוד]. Typically, saying goodbye to a loved one involves physical expressions of grief, followed by eulogies and burial. Yet, in this devastated reality, none of these steps will occur, and survivors will not even attempt to begin the process of caring for the deceased [מלבי״ם]. The living will be so overwhelmed, confused, and consumed by their own endless troubles that they will lack the time and mental capacity to feel sorrow, offer comfort, or grieve for those who have passed [רד״ק, מצודת דוד].

This complete absence of grief extends even to extreme physical reactions, such as cutting the flesh or tearing out hair [מצודת ציון, שטיינזלץ]. The mention of these specific acts presents a challenge, as biblical law strictly forbids self-mutilation in response to death. Why would the disappearance of forbidden practices be framed as part of a tragic punishment? One approach explains that these actions are simply mentioned as universal examples of how people generally mourn, rather than implying the people actually engaged in them [רש״י]. Conversely, other commentators suggest that the people had indeed adopted these forbidden foreign customs, injuring themselves to honor the dead just as they broke other religious laws. In this view, the message is that even these improper, adopted habits will completely cease [רד״ק, מצודת דוד, שטיינזלץ]. Regardless of which customs were actually practiced, the core reality remains absolute: the devastation will be so complete that there will simply be no one left to mourn [שטיינזלץ].