Bava Kamma, Chapter 10, Mishnah 9. We return to the topic of the restrictions placed on purchasing goods that are suspected of being stolen. This is the subject of the Mishnah before us: anything whose purchase raises suspicion that its source is theft - it is forbidden to buy it.
Two types of suspicion are presented in the Mishnah:
When the majority of objects of this type, sold by people of this type, are indeed stolen.
When the seller's behavior, or his request that the buyer act secretly, indicates that he has something to hide - which is a sign that the objects are stolen.
In both of these cases, the purchase is forbidden. The Mishnah lists five examples of things that are forbidden to buy, and five examples of things that are permitted to buy.
Things that are forbidden to buy:
"Ein lokchin min haro'im" - "One may not buy from shepherds". The shepherd is hired by the flock's owner to guard his sheep and prevent any damage to them. Therefore, one may not buy from him: "Tzemer" - "Wool". Where would a person who spends his entire day shepherding sheep get wool merchandise to sell? We must suspect that most shepherds who sell wool took it from the sheep entrusted to them. "Vechalav" - "And milk". Milk that he milked from the goats he is guarding. "Ugedayim" - "And kids". Small lambs and kids that he took from the flock itself, the very flock he is appointed to protect.
"Velo mishomer peirot etzim ufeirot" - "Nor from a watchman of fruit [who sells] wood and fruit". This law applies as well to a hired worker whose job is to guard an orchard from thieves. If at other times he engages in selling fruit or the wood of the orchard, this arouses great suspicion, as it stands to reason that he is unlawfully taking what was entrusted to him to guard. Therefore, it is forbidden to buy from him, because in most cases this will be the product of illegal activity.
Things that are permitted to buy:
There is a rule regarding buying merchandise from women: a married woman generally does not have independent assets of her own, and requires her husband's permission for this. However, in a place where the merchandise is cheap, the assumption is that the husband does not object to his wife selling it and keeping the money for herself.
"Abal lokchin min hanashim kelei tzemer Biyehudah" - "But one may buy woolen garments from women in Yehudah". The word "kelei" means garments, and this refers to woolen garments. In Yehudah, in the southern part of the Land of Israel, wool was very cheap, and therefore the husband is not particular about its sale.
"Unkalei pishtan baGalil" - "Flax garments in the Galil". Linen garments sold in the northern part of the land. The flax, from which the fabric is made, was cheap there, and presumably the husband does not object to his wife preparing and selling them.
"Va'agalim baSharon" - "And calves in the Sharon". A woman selling calves in the Sharon region. Calves are raised in abundance there and are cheap, and presumably the husband is not particular.
"Vechulan she'ameru lehatmin - asur" - "And in all of these cases, if they said to hide them - it is forbidden":
Even in those scenarios where the purchase is permitted, such as from that woman, if the seller tells the buyer to hide the purchase - "Buy this, but do not tell anyone that you bought it from me, put it in your pocket and do not let anyone see" - the purchase is forbidden. For what reason would the seller ask to conceal the sale, if not because it is unlawful.
"Velokchin beitzim vetarnegolim bechol makom" - "And one may buy eggs and chickens in any place":
This refers literally to eggs and chickens, and it is permitted to buy them in any place and at any time - in the Galilee, in the Sharon, and in Judea. Since chicken eggs and chickens are extremely cheap, people are not particular about them, and there is no reason to suspect that they were stolen. It is worth noting that if the egg seller asked the buyer to hide his purchase so it would not be seen, the purchase once again becomes forbidden, since the suspicion is aroused that the eggs are stolen, and for this reason the seller asks to conceal the transaction.
In summary: In this Mishnah we learned that it is forbidden to buy merchandise that is suspected of being stolen, whether based on the majority of such cases or based on the seller's behavior. We do not buy wool, milk, and kids from shepherds, nor wood and fruit from a fruit watchman; but we do buy woolen garments from women in Judea, flaxen garments in the Galilee, and calves in the Sharon - in places where the merchandise is cheap and the husband is not particular about it - as well as eggs and chickens in any place. And in all of these cases, if the seller says to hide the items, the purchase is forbidden.