- המזבח מקדש את הראוי לו, machlokes if לאשים or למזבח
The ninth Perek begins: המזבח מקדש [את] הראוי לו – the mizbeiach sanctifies that which is fit for it, even if it is פסול, and once it was placed on the מזבח, it is not taken down. Five Tannaim dispute the parameters of this rule, three in the Mishnah, and two in a Baraisa. In the Mishnah, Rebbe Yehoshua says: כל הראוי לאישים אם עלה לא ירד – anything fit for the fire, once it went up, does not come down, because the passuk says: היא העולה על מוקדה – it is the olah on the pyre, teaching that anything fit for the pyre, like an עולה, is not taken off the מזבח, like an עולה. Rabban Gamliel says: כל הראוי למזבח – anything fit for the mizbeiach, once it went up, does not come down, because that passuk says "על המזבח", teaching that anything fit for the מזבח, like an עולה, is not taken down. The only practical difference between their opinions is הדם והנסכים – blood and libations which were פסול and placed onto the מזבח, because they are fit for the מזבח, but not for the fires. Rebbe Shimon says that נסכים which are brought along with a korban are taken down, whether it is the נסכים, the korban, or both which are פסול.
- קמצין שלא קידשו בכלי, which were never ראוי for the מזבח, are taken down
The Gemara infers from the Mishnah that the מזבח is only מקדש that which is ראוי לו – already fit for it, but not something which was not yet ראוי for the מזבח. Rav Pappa says this excludes קמצין שלא קידשו בכלי – kematzin (of menachos) which were not yet sanctified in a כלי [שרת]. Since its designation for the מזבח was not completed, it is taken down from the מזבח. Ravina asked how this is different from Ulla’s ruling, that אימורי קדשים קלין שהעלן לפני זריקת דמן – sacrificial parts of kodashim kalim [korbanos] which were brought up onto the מזבח before the throwing of their blood, are not taken down, because נעשו לחמו של מזבח – they have become the mizbeiach’s food. This proves that even before the necessary זריקה to be fit for the מזבח, they are still not taken down!? The Gemara answers: הנך לא מיחסרו מעשה בגופייהו – these [אימורין] do not lack an act performed with their own selves (but only lack זריקה of the blood), whereas הני מיחסרו מעשה בגופייהו – these [קמצין] lack an act performed with their own selves to be fit for the מזבח.
- Two more opinions: מזבח is מקדש items similar to כבשים, or עולה
In a Baraisa, Rebbe Yose HaGlili says that because the passuk says "כל הנוגע במזבח יקדש" – whatever touches the mizbeiach shall become sanctified, one might have thought that the מזבח is מקדש all items, whether they are fit for it or not. Therefore, the next passuk mentions "כבשים" – lambs, teaching that מה כבשים ראויין אף כל ראוי – just as lambs are fit for the מזבח, so too all items which are fit for the מזבח are not removed. Rebbe Akiva says that a later passuk mentions an "עולה", teaching that just as an עולה is fit for the מזבח, so too all items fit for the מזבח are not removed. The practical difference between these opinions is an עולת העוף, because it is included in the term "עולה", but would not be included by the term "כבשים", which connotes animals. Reish Lakish proceeds to detail what each Tanna would hold about four more cases.