To risk one's life/ to endanger oneself
He risked his life. He put his life in danger (He owed his life. He created a debt of labor in his life. The opposite of 'he justified his life').
("Rabbi Hanina ben Hakinai says: The youth at night and the one who walks in the way of a single person and turns his heart to idleness, this is what makes him happy in his soul" - Avot 3:5, and so on: "Remember the words that the physician said to you. You are a baby, what is it? He has pleasure! He makes him happy in his soul and he will enjoy..." - H. Hazaz/ Shlulit Genuza, 140, and so on: "Keep me God. For years/ I have been flying wildly in the mountains, hiding my soul/ In the mist within the smoke"- Nathan Jonathan/ Golden Acacia)
Translation
Expression (Hebrew)
הִתְחַיֵּיב בְּנַפְשׁוֹ
Definition (Hebrew)
סִכֵּן אֶת נַפְשׁוֹ. הֵבִיא אֶת חַיָּיו לְמַצַּב סַכָּנָה (חִיֵּב אֶת נַפְשׁוֹ. יָצַר חוֹב אֶת שִׁעְבּוּד בְּנַפְשׁוֹ. הַהֶפֶךְ מִ'זִכָּה אֶת נַפְשׁוֹ').
("רַבִּי חֲנִינָא בֶּן חֲכִינַאי אוֹמֵר הַנֵּעוֹר בַּלַּיְלָה וְהַמְהַלֵּךְ בַּדֶּרֶךְ יְחִידִי וְהַמְפַנֶּה לִבּוֹ לְבַטָּלָה הֲרֵי זֶה מִתְחַיֵּב בְּנַפְשׁוֹ"- אָבוֹת ג דְּ-ה, וְכֵן:"זְכֹר דְּבָרִים שֶׁאָמַר לְךָ הָרוֹפֵא. תִּינוֹק אַתָּה, מָה? הֲנָאָה יֵשׁ לוֹ! מִתְחַיֵּב בְּנַפְשׁוֹ וְנֶהֱנֶה..."-ח.הָזָז/ שְׁלוּלִית גְּנוּזָה, 140, וְכֵן:"שְׁמֹר אוֹתִי אֱלֹהִים. זֶה שָׁנִים/ אֲנִי עָף מְטֹרָף בַּכְּבִישִׁים מִתְחַיֵּב בְּנַפְשִׁי/ בְּעַרְפִּיחַ בְּתוֹךְ הֶעָשָׁן"- נָתָן יוֹנָתָן/ אַקְצִיָּה זְהֻבָּה)