At the risk of his life / At the utmost personal risk
In the midst of mortal danger. His fate is thus dependent; it is of utmost importance to him (in the source: at the risk of his life).
("Slaves ruled over us, powerless to act on their own. At the risk of our lives, we will bring our bread before the sword of the desert" – Lamentations 5:8; and likewise: "The sweat had already washed him—yet he still struggles with it… it is at his own risk" – Bialik / Me’acharei HaGader, 71; and likewise: "He brought the bread at his own risk, and they did not take from all that belonged to her father" – S. Y. Agnon / Bedami Yameha)
Translation
Expression (Hebrew)
בְּנַפְשׁוֹ, בְּנַפְשׁוֹ הַדָּבָר
Definition (Hebrew)
תּוֹךְ סִכּוּן חַיָּיו. גּוֹרָלוֹ תָּלוּי בְּכָךְ.חָשׁוּב לוֹ בְּיוֹתֵר (בַּמָּקוֹר: תּוֹךְ סִכּוּן חַיָּיו ).
("עֲבָדִים מָשְׁלוּ בָנוּ פֹּרֵק אֵין מִיָּדָם.בְּנַפְשֵׁנוּ נָבִיא לַחְמֵנוּ מִפְּנֵי חֶרֶב הַמִּדְבָּר"- אֵיכָה ה ח,וְכֵן:"הַזָּעָה כְּבָר שְׁטָפַתְהוּ-וְהוּא עֲדַיִן מִתְחַכֵּם לָהּ...בְּנַפְשׁוֹ הוּא"-בְּיָאלִיק/מֵאַחֲרֵי הַגָּדֵר,עא, וְכֵן:" בְּנַפְשׁוֹ הֵבִיא לָחֲמוּ , וְלֹא לָקְחוּ מִכָּל אֲשֶׁר לְאָבִיהָ דָּבָר"- שַׁ"י עַגְנוֹן / בִּדְמֵי יָמֶיהָ)