Dvar Torah Purim 5786 - The Source

In Megillat Esther, which we read on Purim, we are told that Mordechai uncovered a plot to assassinate King Achashverosh and informed Queen Esther:

“The matter became known to Mordechai, and he told Queen Esther. Esther told the king in Mordechai’s name.” (Esther 2:22)

The Megillah deliberately emphasizes that Esther reported the plot “in Mordechai’s name.” This detail appears minor, yet the Gemara attributes extraordinary significance to it:

“Rabbi Elazar said that Rabbi Chanina said: Whoever reports a statement in the name of the one who said it brings redemption to the world.” (Megillah 15a)

Because Esther credited Mordechai, the king later discovered that Mordechai had saved his life. This recognition set in motion the chain of events that led to Haman’s downfall and the salvation of the Jewish people.

The Etz Yosef explains that Mordechai could have personally informed the king. Instead, he instructed Esther to do so in order to enhance her standing in the royal court. Yet Esther, in her humility, refused to take credit for something she had not done. In her view, claiming another’s accomplishment would be an act of arrogance. Her integrity ultimately became a catalyst for redemption.

However, the Rif (on Ein Yaakov) raises a penetrating question. Even if Esther’s attribution led to redemption in that specific case, how can Rabbi Chanina formulate a universal principle from it? How can we say that anyone who attributes a statement properly “brings redemption to the world”?

The Torah Temimah answers that when a statement is said in the name of the one who says it, it is possible that in the course of time some great thing will result that cannot be guessed or foreseen in advance. Why is this so?

The Tiferes Yisrael (Avos 6:6, note 116) explains that when someone performs a good deed or expresses a profound idea, Hashem desires that the person’s name and character traits become known so that others can learn from them. Proper attribution allows the originator’s positive qualities to inspire others. This creates a cascading effect as people will emulate the good deeds of that person, and that will eventually lead to redemption of the world.

This principle applies not only to the listener, but also to the speaker. When someone fails to cite a source, he implicitly claims ownership of an idea that is not his. As the Etz Yosef observed, such behavior reflects subtle haughtiness. In contrast, a person like Esther who gives credit to another demonstrates her humility and good character, and this influences others in a positive way and leads to a better world.

The sages of the Talmud were meticulous in preserving chains of transmission — “Rabbi Elazar said that Rabbi Chanina said…” — modeling the very value they praised. By honoring sources, they honored truth, humility, and the integrity of Torah.

We should always be careful to emulate Esther and give appropriate credit to our sources. In that merit, just as Mordechai and Esther brought redemption to the Jews from the evil of the Persian empire in their time, we should see redemption for Israel and the Jewish people today.