An offering that people unfit for performing the Temple service collected and then sprinkled its blood should not descend from the altar if it ascended. What, is it not that the Mishnah means that people unfit for performing the Temple service collected the blood and people unfit for performing the Temple service sprinkled it as well, which disqualifies it from ascending the altar? But if the collection alone was performed by people unfit for performing the Temple service, although the offering becomes disqualified, those fit to perform the Temple service may sprinkle the blood and sacrifice the offering ab initio. The reason, apparently, is that service vessels sanctify disqualified blood such that it may be sprinkled ab initio.
לא, שקיבלו פסולין. אי נמי שזרקו פסולין.
Reish Lakish rejects this proof: No, the Mishnah may be referring to two independent cases, i.e., that people unfit for performing the Temple service collected the blood, or that people unfit for performing the Temple service sprinkled the blood after it was collected by people who were fit for performing the Temple service. Accordingly, the Mishnah teaches only that if such offerings ascended the altar they should not descend after the fact, but service vessels do not sanctify disqualified items such that they are offered ab initio.
אויר מזבח – כמזבח דמי, או לא? תא שמע: כשם שהמזבח מקדש, כך כבש מקדש.
§ The Talmud raises a dilemma: Is the airspace above the altar considered as the altar itself, by which items that enter this airspace should not descend from the altar, or is it not considered like the altar? The Talmud suggests: Come and hear the Mishnah, which states: Just as the altar sanctifies items, so too, the ramp sanctifies items, and if they ascended upon it they should be sacrificed upon the altar and should not descend.