(lit. "colleague," "companion"). During the Second Temple period, title bestowed upon those who were considered trustworthy in observing the laws of the separation of Tithes and the laws of ritual Purity. As the laws of tithing are complex and the ignorant might not observe them properly, the bestowal of the title implied that the person could be trusted to have tithed whatever needed tithing. talmudic sages were automatically considered to be in the category of ḥaver, as were those less learned people who accepted all the provisions involved, including tithing all produce which they ate or sold. Acceptance as a ḥaver could only be made by three talmudic sages sitting for the purpose. The Talmud (Sanh. 9b) also mentions a female ḥaverah who met these criteria.
The title was revived in Germany in the late Middle Ages and bestowed upon individuals who were considered to be both learned and God-fearing, although they were not sufficiently learned to receive rabbinic Ordination. In modern Israel, the term ḥaver may be used to denote a member of a cooperative organization, such as a bus cooperative, a health insurance plan, or a kibbutz.
