Itay Levi's confession: "It is a heaviness that has no weight"
In a candid and moving conversation with Avi Ohayon, Itay Levi opened his heart about his complex relationship with his mother, the forced role reversal, and the great pain surrounding his desire to provide her with comfort and continuity.
In an emotional and moving episode of Avi Ohayon's podcast, singer Itay Levi opened up about the complex, deep, and exposed relationship with his mother, Ruth Levi. The conversation revolved around the song "Lefamim" (Sometimes), which Ohayon wrote without originally intending it for this family relationship, but which in practice became a pure and powerful love song from Levi to his mother. The clip woven into the song, which was filmed in the living room of the house, reflected in a magical and heartwarming way the bond between the two — a bond of love that has no boundaries.
During the segment, a deep discussion developed around the philosophical and emotional meaning of the commandment to honor one's parents. Avi Ohayon noted:
"Two or three years ago we wrote you a song called 'Sometimes', and sometimes you write things and you are not aware. I did not direct it to your relationship with your mother, but there was a magical clip there that you made in the living room. It's like a love song to your mother, and your mother is your beloved, and it is charming to see."
Itay Levi offered a personal and painful interpretation of the word 'kaved' (heavy/honor):
"You had a Hebrew error when you said the word 'kaved', 'honor (kaved) your father and your mother', but the word 'kaved' is 'unbearable'. The honoring (kibud) is from the word 'kvedut' (heaviness), and it is a heaviness that has no weight. A watermelon that you put on the scale, you weigh it, it can be 600 kilos, and it's not just the shoulders holding it, sometimes nothing can hold it because there is a sense of unfairness in this thing. It is a relationship in itself, to understand why there is a role reversal, so you learn to develop and accept 'no'. What do parents want in the end? To see the grandchildren, the baby, and I grab my head, what is this, it's crazy. That is what I longed for, and I realize that it is not there."
The bond between Itay Levi and his mother is known as one of the central axes of his life. His mother, Ruth Levi, has suffered several complex strokes over the years, which led to an early role reversal in which Itay became her primary caregiver and protector. Levi has never hidden the struggle and the heavy emotional burden, alongside the total dedication to his mother, and the conversation on the podcast brings up again the complexity between the pain of the role reversal and the desire to give her continuity.
