August 22, 2025
In May of 1974, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band performed a concert in Harvard Square. Jon Landau, acclaimed music critic, attended the concert that night, and after seeing Springsteen perform, Landau wrote to The Real Paper, “I saw Rock n’ Roll’s future and its name is Bruce Springsteen.”
At the time, Springsteen was fighting for his rock n’ roll life. He was on the ropes with Columbia Records who were hesitant to front the money to produce his third record. His First two records, Greetings from Asbury Park and The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle did not sell as expected. Even Landau’s famous quote and positive review could not shift things with Columbia Records. With hard work and a single that made it to radio stations around the company, Springsteen was able to turn things around. On August 25th, 1975, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street band released their third record, Born to Run. It is arguably my favorite record, and it changed the trajectory of Bruce’s career—having sold more than 10 million copies worldwide.
If you have made it this far, you might be wondering why I am sharing this significant moment in rock n’ roll history with you. I listen to that album multiple times each week; it is my own personal running soundtrack (and it is not because it is called Born to Run). The fact that I and so many others are listening to this music fifty years after its release is remarkable. From Springsteen’s magical lyrics to Clarence Clemons’ powerful saxophone solos, the music speaks to my soul.
What is also interesting to me is that there is a lesson in the timeless appeal and influence of such music. Bruce Springsteen has left an incredible legacy. Last week, I mentioned how Rava, one of the great Rabbis of the Talmud (Shabbat 31a) imagined that when we reach heaven, we will be called to account, and God will ask us several questions. According to Rava, one of the questions God asks us is if we procreated. In writing about these questions in his book, The Seven Questions You’re Asked in Heaven, Ron Wolfson explains that this question is really asking us if we have left a legacy. Music that has endured for half a century is a legacy. The fact that the band who performed it 50 years ago is still together (even though Danny Federici and Clarence Clemons have passed, the rest of the band is still together) is a testament to their own commitment to each other. Perhaps what is most remarkable is that they are still performing three-hour sets in their 70s!
The lesson in this question is about how we leave a legacy. Perhaps we might be talented enough to produce a record or write a book, and our words will last long past our time on earth. Maybe we are talented enough to create art that people will look at for centuries. What is more likely is what our tradition teaches us; “Monuments shall not be erected for the righteous, their deeds will be their memorials.” Our legacies live on through our actions and the way we carry ourselves. Perhaps someone will remember the kindness we offered in a moment of stress or anxiety.
Monday begins the month of Elul which reminds us that the High Holy Days are just four weeks away. This is a sacred time in which we reflect on our journey over the past year and begin to think about our transgressions and how we can improve ourselves and do better. It is also a time when think about our legacies. If our lives are headed in a trajectory of which we are not proud, Elul gives us the time to pivot and make changes so we can move in a better direction. Each year, the holidays stare us in the face, reminding us that our lives are fragile and we don’t know how much time we have. Bruce Springsteen writes in Thunder Road, “We got one last chance to make it real, to trade in these wings on some wheels, climb in back, heaven’s waiting down on the tracks.”
Our time is limited; we have to do what we can to make the best out of the time that we have. If we are not happy with our legacy, now is the time to rewrite the script, record some new lyrics. Each day is a new page and a new opportunity. Elul comes knocking on the door every year to remind us that time is ticking. It’s precious. Let’s take the time now to do the sacred work we need to do.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Rick Kellner