The altar became the table at which the family gathered to eat its common meals. It is the consumption of food which connects the two institutions. Thus Rabbis Yohanan and Resh Lakish in third century Palestine conceived it to be a locus for reconciliation. Rashi, in his comment on their assertion, suggests that the atonement is effected by inviting guests to our table, that is, in repairing our relations with people outside the family. But I suspect that there are enough strains and rifts within the family fabric to warrant repairing.
Atonement begins at home.
I take the counsel of Rabbi Yohanan and Resh Lakish to mean that mealtime is to be used to reach out to loved ones, to share ideas and experiences, to show understanding and compassion. It is even a time to bring God into our frenetic lives. The conversation around our surrogate altar is to be illumined with flashes of eternity. Again the link between the Temple and our table is alluded to. A meal stripped of Torah remains a purely physical activity.