Most computer programs rely on resources provided by the operating system or another software. The most common resource is memory, closely followed by files on the local file system. Be it a chunk of memory or a database connection, resources should be dealt with gently; return them once you no longer need them.
Many text books and university courses on C++ familiarize the programmer with low-level functions such as new and delete. These mechanisms are inconvenient and error-prone since you need to make sure that you release the resource no matter which execution path your program takes. Less obvious paths, for example exceptions in the control flow, tend to be forgotten.