I heard a recent video from Ray Higdon, in which he mentioned the importance of edifying and giving credit to those who have taught us things or given us ideas. I imagine that Ray doesn’t know that he has support in this from the Talmud, no less:

Thus you have learned: everyone who says a thing in the name of him who said it, brings deliverance into the world, as it is said: “And Esther told the king in Mordecai’s name” (Esther 2:22). (Pirkei Avot 6:6)

In academic circles, citation and giving credit is taken just as seriously as in the Talmud, but in everyday life, not everyone is as careful to express gratitude to their teachers. Sometimes people rip off the work of others quite deliberately, so they can present it as their own. However, I think more often it is just thoughtlessness – passing on a meme or telling a story, without making any attempt to find out who originated them. If this is you, I would like to invite you to reconsider. Intellectual property may not appear to be a big deal on social media, but you don’t want to pass on the opportunity to express gratitude.

Gratitude is a fascinating human emotion. Remarkably, scientists are discovering that a regular gratitude practice can help improve our mental health – even if we never send that thank-you letter. Just taking the time to stop and think of all the things we are grateful for in our lives can give us an emotional boost, and most of us can use that. There’s a reason why Grandma told you to count your blessings.

So next time you are poised to grab a picture or a story and pass it on, maybe add a little thank-you to the person who shared it with you, and even better, if you can give credit to the original author, more power to you. If you learned something from someone, mention that and don’t pretend you came up with it yourself, if you didn’t. Of course, if you improved something, you should take credit for that, and anyone who shares should credit you. That’s how we bring deliverance to the world.

I’d love to know what you think – is it worth it to take the time to credit people? Do you think it brings deliverance to the world, as the rabbis said? Let me know!