I am his (her) atonement (may any evil which might have visited him visit me instead)/I am his ransom
As if to say: I am willing to be his atonement or sacrifice in his place. By extension: He is dearer to me than myself. He is more beloved to me than my own life.
("And when he is consoled by others, all the people pass by one after another and the appointed official mediates between him and the people. When he is comforted by others, all the people say to him: 'I am his atonement,' and he says to them: 'May you be blessed from heaven.'"–Jerusalem Talmud Sanhedrin 2:2; and: "Where are you, where? All you beauties/ Am I not ready to be your atonement?/ Rivka and her Merkadah and tall Flora/ And Liza and Merita and wealthy Blanco"–Yossi Banai, 'Heavy Women')
Translation
Expression (Hebrew)
אֲנִי כַּפָּרָתוֹ
Definition (Hebrew)
כִּבְיָכוֹל אֲנִי מוּכָן לִהְיוֹת כַּפָּרָה אוֹ קָרְבַּן תְּמוּרָתוֹ. בְּהַשְׁאָלָה: הוּא יָקָר לְלִבִּי יוֹתֵר מִמֶּנִּי. הוּא אָהוּב עָלַי יוֹתֵר מֵחַיַּי.
("וּכְשֶׁהוּא מְנַחֵם אֶת אֲחֵרִים דֶּרֶךְ כָּל הָעָם עוֹבְרִין זֶה אַחַר זֶה וְהַמְמֻנֶּה מְמַצְּעוֹ בֵּינוֹ לְבֵין הָעָם כְּשֶׁהוּא מִתְנַחֵם מֵאֲחֵרִים כָּל הָעָם אוֹמְרִים לוֹ אֲנִי כַּפָּרָתוֹ וְהוּא אוֹמֵר לָהֶן תִּתְבָּרְכוּ מִן הַשָּׁמַיִם"-יְרוּשַׁלְמִי סַנְהֶדְרִין ב, ב, וְכֵן:"הֵיכָן אַתֶּן הֵיכָן? כָּל יַעֲלוֹת הַחֵן/ אֲנִי הֲלֹא מוּכָן לִהְיוֹת כַּפָּרַתְכֶן/ רִבְקָה וּמִרְקָדָהּ וּפְלוֹרָה הַתְּמִירָה/ וְלִיזָה וּמֵרִיטָה וּבְלַנְקוֹ הַגְּבִירָה"-יוֹסִי בַּנַּאי/ נָשִׁים כְּבֵדוֹת מִשְׁקָל)