TABLES AS ALTARS
[27a top] Yechezkel Hanavi was shown a vision of the future third Temple’s Shulchan (Table), the verse uses the word “Altar” and “Table” interchangeably. R’ Yochanan and Reish Lakish: When the Temple stood, the Altar would atone for a person. Nowadays, without a Temple, a person’s own table atones for him [through his/her performance of Mitzvos by inviting and feeding guests there (GM’ Sanhedrin: “Great is the providing of food to travelers and guests.”)].
T’s Lesson#1: See how great the Mitzvah of Hachnassas Orchim (inviting guests) is! It even atones for a person’s sins! We should try to have guests as often as we can to partake of this great Mitzvah and its atonement attributes.
FIRES OF TORAH
[27a bottom] R’ Avahu quoting R’ Elazar: The fires of Gehennom (hell) do not rule over Torah scholars [learned from a Kal Vachomer (logical inference) by comparison to a “salamadra ” beast that does not burn someone who protects themselves]. Reish Lakish: The fires of Gehennom do not rule over even sinners of Israel (that still have some good deeds) [learned from a Kal Vachomer by comparison to the golden altar of which its gold never burned].
T’s Lesson#2: Torah can save us from the pains of Gehennom! Try to push ourselves every day to learn what we can so as to be zocheh (meritorious) in the next world and to be saved from the fires of Gehennom.