A fourth stage, no less, that comes after the resurrection of the dead.
Now, hold on. Let's unpack that a bit.
The idea here, as Baal HaSulam explains in his introduction to the Zohar, is tied to this concept of the "desire to receive." In Kabbalah, this desire—our ego, essentially—is seen as the root of all separation from the Divine. Think of it as the thing that makes us feel like we're not already whole, already connected.
Death, in a way, is meant to eliminate this desire. It's a cleansing. A reset. But here's the kicker: it doesn't disappear entirely. It lies dormant, waiting. As our sages have said, "the dead are destined to be resurrected with their blemishes." That little phrase, found earlier in the Zohar, hints at something profound.
See, when we are resurrected, that old desire to receive comes back, but amplified, exaggerated. Imagine all the ego, all the self-centeredness, you've ever experienced... intensified. Sounds pretty awful, right?
So what's the point? Why would we be brought back with all that baggage?
This is where it gets really interesting. The whole purpose of this fourth stage, this service performed after resurrection, is to transform that desire. To take that intense urge to receive and turn it into an act of giving. It's about receiving for the sake of giving, a concept that Kabbalists call receiving in order to bestow.
Think of it like this: you're given a huge amount of energy, but instead of hoarding it for yourself, you channel it outwards, using it to benefit others, to bring more light into the world. That, according to Baal HaSulam, is the ultimate transformation.
And here's the most mind-blowing part: he says that there are rare individuals who are able to perform this service even while living in this world. Right now. Today. People who, through intense spiritual work, are able to transform their own desires and live a life of pure giving.
It's a tall order, no doubt. But it offers a glimpse of what's possible. Maybe, just maybe, we can start practicing for that fourth stage right now. Maybe we can start transforming our own desires, little by little, and create a little bit of heaven, here on Earth.