9. [The Matrix] Blue Pill or Red Pill?

In this episode, join Rabbi Rick Fox in figuring out what the Torah would advise Neo: blue pill or red pill? Do we choose to live an illusory life of comfort, or engage harsh reality head on? And why?

Neo is a computer programmer puzzled by repeated online encounters with the phrase “the Matrix”. This leads Neo to a meeting with Trinity and Morpheus and the antagonistic Agents.

In turn, this leads to the scene where Morpheus presents Neo with the now-famous dilemma: blue pill or red pill?

The Blue Pill: If Neo chooses this pill, he will remain in the world as he knows it and forget all the bizarre experiences he’s been having. This choice represents comfort, ignorance, and the continuation of a life lived within the boundaries of illusion, without knowledge of the true nature of existence.

The Red Pill: If Neo takes this pill, he will wake up to the harsh, unsettling truth of reality. That Neo’s life up until now, and the life for most of humanity, is a simulated reality created by machines to keep humanity enslaved. The Red Pill symbolizes knowledge, freedom, and the willingness to embrace the painful and difficult truths of life, even if it means giving up the comforting falsehoods.

Towards the end of the movie, Cypher, one of Morpheus’ crew members, ends up betraying Morpheus’ crew. This is first foreshadowed in a conversation Cypher has with Neo, when Cypher says, “You know, I know what you’re thinking, because right now I’m thinking the same thing. Actually, I’ve been thinking it ever since I got here. Why, oh why didn’t I take the blue pill?”

In a later scene, Cypher meets with Agent Smith to plan Cypher’s betrayal of Morpheus, namely, letting the Agents capture Morpheus, during which Cypher kills members of the crew. In exchange, Cypher will be plugged back in the Matrix and have his memory wiped clean (in other words, the blue pill choice).

With that, we have a few questions we’d like answered:

1. If one of us replaced Neo, what would the Torah advise us to do? Do we take the red pill or the blue pill, and why?
2. A person might ask – just as Cypher pointed out when he betrayed Morpheus – what does it mean to have a “real” life? The Matrix felt real. It sent nerve impulses to one’s brain. What’s the issue? What makes something real? This question is highlighted by Cypher and his regret taking the red pill. But Cypher has a point. You have the option between a nice normal life. True, it’s not real, but it feels real. In actual reality, Cypher is constantly uncomfortable and scared and running. What kind of life is that? What difference does it make if he ultimately lives an illusion and his body ages and dies? I think if you were to present many people with two options.

• Option A: Live a comfortable, really nice life;

OR

• Option B: Live an uncomfortable life, constantly on the run, cold, eating disgusting food, at constant risk – but hey, it’s true! It’s real!

They would choose Option A. And they’d tell you, look, you can keep your “reality” – if my brain is telling me “good good good”, I’m going with that option.

To clarify, if Cypher was able to get his way and re-enter the Matrix without killing the entire crew or sabotaging their mission – can he do that? Is there something wrong with it? Eat, drink and be merry! Why does it have to be “real”?

3. Why does taking the red pill have to be irrevocable? If someone changes their mind, why can’t you just program a person to retake the blue pill and just re-insert him to the Matrix and wipe his memory clean?

Those are some of our questions. Let’s see what the Torah has to say.

 

I am excited to welcome Rabbi Rick Fox to this episode to answer our questions. Rabbi Fox is the Executive Director of MEOR Penn, which is a Jewish outreach organization, servicing the Jewish community at the University