The inspiration for Real Economics came to David Moroz on January 20th, 2025, while reading “Lessons in Tanya,” a commentary on the "Tanya" written by Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi. The Tanya is the central text of the Orthodox Jewish community known as “Chabad,” the community of which David is proudly a part of.

The following is the excerpt from “Lessons In Tanya” which sparked the idea for Real Economics: 

“The term ‘truth’ refers to something immutable; the temporary and passing are not considered ‘true.’” - Lessons In Tanya, Volume 1, Chapter 13

True means continuous. A synonym for true is real. Therefore an economics of continuity, aka an economics of truth, could simply be referred to as real economics. David said to himself, "continuity.. but how?" The answer was right in front of him: Charity. A primary principle and a main topic of the Tanya and of Orthodox Judaism as a whole, is charity.

In other words, continuity of the economy through the contribution of wealth back to that very economy (namely the environment and humanity), contributing not only to the continuity of its wealth, but also to the increase in the quantity and quality of this wealth. 

Simply put, as derived from the above quoted statement in the Tanya, the word true is that which is continuous and does not dissipate. The word true is synonymous with the word real, and thus Real Economics was born. According to its source, Real Economics is true economics.

In concise terms, Real Economics is a system of continuity by contribution through charity; with continuity, contribution, and charity being fundamental tenets of the Torah.

Real can simply be defined as "existing.” Yet, temporary existence is eventually not going to be existing at all and therefore can not be said to be existing, or real, in the fullest sense.

While nothing can truly be infinitely continuous unless the Infinite One (a primary name of G-d in the Torah) desires it to be, we can all try, and it's the intention and effort that counts.

As to how to obtain G-d’s desire to obtain eternal existence along with Him, this is not the article for it, because it’s a lengthy exposition on its own, and involves more of a spiritual mystical discussion rather than a physical, economic one. In the future, G-d may provide a certain technology that would wipe away scarcity, or He may simply will abundance into play. Until then, according to the Torah, G-d wants us not to do with what we don’t have, but to make do with what we do, and to live with the times.

A truly real, everlasting economy, has no place when speaking in terms of a finite world, finite resources, and as history has shown before, finite civilizations. So to make it clear, a real economy is not necessarily certain to last forever but does what it’s able to, to last within the parameters that allow it to last. Meaning, if the earth and its parameters allow for a civilization to last for 100 million years but because decisions made by that civilization only permitted it to last for 100 thousand years, than it wasn’t a real economy according to the parameters that were provided it.

At any rate, what lasts as long as its parameters allow it to, can also be considered real in the complete sense. For example, if two people are standing in front of a tree and one says to the other, “don't ever uproot this tree,” that would only be possible as long as the tree is not uprooted by some other means, such as a storm. If it is uprooted, the parameters of the command not to “ever” uproot the tree cease to exist for that person, yet because the person kept to the command while those parameters were in play (while the tree was standing) it can be said that he truly, really kept the command.

Now that this matter has been clarified, it should be noted that wherever Real Economics is mentioned, it is generally a reference to relatively Real Economics and not real in the complete sense of everlasting.

Practically speaking, an economy, like a human, is simply meant to be what it is. A bomb for example is not meant to be what it is, but actually meant to explode, destroy itself, and seize being a bomb. Just as a bomb that doesn’t explode is not really a bomb, so too, in the opposite direction, an economy that does not continue to be an economy because of itself (within the parameters given it), is not a real economy. If an economy is simply meant to be an economy, then an economy that eliminates itself is also not a real economy. An economy that continues on, within its given parameters, is a real economy.

There has been a long asked question in both economics and environmental studies: what is sustainability, the hallmark of a good economy and a good environment? It’s actually self-explanatory. Sustainability is defined as the ability to sustain, meaning to continue on. Likewise, a real economy, can be defined as one that is continuous, or, sustainable. Real Economics therefore, by definition, is sustainable economics.

A real economy should be self-explanatory: a system of producing, selling and purchasing products (an economy), but not destroying that ability to do so by destroying the environment from which those products come, which subsequently destroys humanity, the very agents of the economy, with the entire economy itself being entirely a function of the environment of which it plops itself on top of, produces and subsequently profits from.