Living a luxurious life doesn't mean you are happier than those with less. The person down the street who can't afford what you have can be just as happy with his life and even happier than you.
Every person has different needs, but one thing is certain: If you aren't happy with your portion, traveling and buying expensive items won't satisfy you. You can tour the world, live in a mansion home, and be miserable. But when you are happy with your portion, you have everything. That is the brachah that Hashem gave Avraham. He blessed him with בכל, everything. This is the lesson we learn from succah.
The Chidushei HaRim zt'l teaches that we read Koheles on Succos to remind us that joy isn't the product of hevel havalim, or frivolities. True simcha is when it is connected to Hashem, Torah, and mitzvos.
Luxuries
It states, בכל אברהם את ברך 'וה, "Hashem blessed Avraham with everything." The Midrash says that בכל, "everything" refers to the mitzvah of succah. Hashem blessed Avraham with the mitzvah of succah, thereby giving Avraham "everything." This means that when one has the mitzvah of succah, he possesses everything. What is the explanation? Why does having a succah equate to having everything?
The Chozeh of Lublin (Avnei Zikaron 662) zt’l explains that the succah reminds us of the vainness of luxuries. We live in a temporary hut for seven days, and all is fine and well. We discover that luxuries are not as essential as we thought they were. And when we know this, we have everything. We can have fewer physical possessions and be satisfied with our lot.
But when we think we can't live without luxuries, we are never satisfied. We never feel that we have הכל, "Everything." We need a renovated kitchen and a new car. When we make a simcha, we need to match the wealthy, or it won't be enough. We think vacations must cost a lot of money, or it isn't enjoyable. This results in debt and hard work to cover the expenses. We are always unhappy because we never have everything we think we need, always fearing there is more and better that can be had. We avoid these problems when we learn the lesson of the succah. Succah is the blessing of הכל, "everything," that Avraham received. It endows us with the awareness that we can have little and yet have a lot. Life is always good because we don't need more.
We learn that Avraham was happy with his portion in life from this pasuk (Bereishis 25:8): ושבע זקן טובה בשיבה אברהם וימת ויגוע, "Avraham passed away at an old age, old and satisfied." The Siforno translates ושבע as "He was satisfied with everything he desired to see and to do in his lifetime." This is a great level, and a rare level. Rabbeinu b'Chaya writes: "This pasuk reveals Avraham's good middos. He left this world feeling fulfilled. He didn't need more... This is unlike most people about whom it states (Koheles 5:9), אוהב כסף ישבע לא כסף, 'one who desires money will never have enough money.' And Chazal (Koheles Rabbah 1:32) say, 'When a person leaves the world, he hasn’t attained half of what he wanted. If he has one hundred, he wants two hundred. If he has two hundred, he wants four hundred.'" But Avraham was satisfied and happy with his lot, and that is a wonderful level.
Rebbe Yonason Eibshitz (Yaaras Dvash 6:1) writes, "For the person who fears Hashem, he doesn't take [the lesson of] succah only on the yom tov of Succos. Throughout the year, he will remember that life is temporary and that he's a guest in this world. And, therefore, one shouldn't build expensive houses decorated with gems and diamonds for his pleasure, for this will bring him to desire more money and to sin. He will become a baal gaavah and forget Hashem Who created him. Remember Yonadav ben Rechav's precious, ethical will (see Yirmiyahu 35:6). He instructed his children not to live in houses. He told them to live in tents and temporary dwellings – one day here and the next day somewhere else. This is what our forefathers, Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov would do. They dwelt in tents. This gave them long life because they didn’t have to worry about fires that could burn down their castles. They also didn’t live in fear of enemies, hunger, or plague. [If there was a problem], they could quickly undo the ropes of their tents and travel elsewhere.
"When Bilaam saw the Jewish nation dwelling in tents, he said, יעקב אהליך טובו מה, 'How good are your tents.' 'Tents' in this verse is intentional because we are a nation that dwells in tents... and that is good for us in this world and the next. But when we build houses from lime and stone, the stones will shout out all the sins of theft, pride, temptation, and desire. This is the lesson of the mitzvah of succah..."
Ushpizin
Yesod VeShoresh HaAvodah writes, "Erev Succos... try to find proper guests, b'nei Torah, for Yom Tov." The importance of having guests on Succos is discussed in the Zohar. The Zohar teaches that the seven ushpizin, Avraham, Yitzchok, Yaakov, Moshe, Aharon, Yosef, and Dovid, come to our succahs to celebrate with us. When they arrive, they look to see if there are guests at the seudah. If guests are present, they remain in the succah and bless everyone. But if there are no guests, they leave. Therefore, it is important to invite guests on Succos.
