LEV228 Let us now speak about the transgressions of promiscuity, which also are of those offenses that [human nature finds more] desirable and are second only to theft in importance, as stated by the Sages of blessed memory (Bava Basra 165a): "The majority succumb to theft and a minority to promiscuity." One who desires to be completely cleansed of this sin will have to expend considerable effort, because its prohibition includes not only the actual physical act but anything that comes near to this as well. This is stated clearly [this verse]: "Do not approach to uncover nakedness." They of blessed memory have said (Shemos Rabbah 16:2): "The Holy One blessed be He said: 'Do not say, "Since I am forbidden to have intimate relations with a woman, I will [at least] hold her without incurring sin, I will embrace her without incurring sin, or I will kiss her without incurring sin,'" The Holy One Blessed be He said: 'Just like a nazir whose vow not to drink wine also forbids him to eat fresh or dried grapes, to drink grape juice, or to consume any derivatives of grapes, a man is likewise prohibited from touching any woman other than his wife.' And any person who touches a woman other than his wife brings death upon him.…" What an extraordinary statement this is, for this prohibition is compared to the vow of a nazir in which the primary prohibition relates only to the drinking of wine. Nonetheless, the Torah forbids him anything that is related to wine. By means of this the Torah instructs our Sages how to go about "making a fence" around the Torah by exercising the authority vested in them for safeguarding the Torah's safeguards; [and in this endeavor] they will learn from the [case of a] nazir that for the sake of the primary prohibition one may prohibit anything that is similar to it. What this means is that the Torah uses the mitzvah of nazir as the paradigm for what our Sages have been authorized to do with all the other mitzvos. This way we are instructed that this is the will of the Eternal [to erect fences around the Torah]. Consequently, when the Torah states any prohibition, the Sages will know how to proscribe what is not elucidated [in the Torah] on the basis of what has already been elucidated. And that way they will be able to prohibit anything similar to the [specific] prohibition. By applying this rule to the area of promiscuity, the Sages prohibited anything that is a form of adultery or that resembles that, regardless of the medium involved: physical contact, sight, speech, hearing, or even thought.