Editing Negiah (section)

==Biblical prohibition and subsequent exegesis==
The prohibition of {{Transliteration|he|negiah}} is derived from two verses in [[Leviticus]]: "Any man shall not approach (לקרב {{Transliteration|he|lekarev}}) his close relative to uncover nakedness; I am God" (18:6), and: "You shall not approach a woman in her time of unclean separation, to uncover her nakedness" (18:19).<ref>Translation follows the Stone Edition of the Chumash (Mesorah Publications 1993).</ref> The first verse refers to incest, the second to sexual relations with a woman who is in niddah status due to [[menstruation]]. Although the verses speak in the masculine gender, women are equally bound by these commandments.<ref>[[Sifra]] (Aharei Mot 13:2) concludes, based on the plural language "you [plural] shall not approach, that these laws apply equally to men and women: "לא תקרבו" מה תלמוד לומר? לפי שנאמר "איש איש", שיכול אין לי אלא איש ממש שמוזהר על ידי אשה. אשה מוזהרת על ידי איש מנין? תלמוד לומר "לא תקרבו"- הרי כאן שנים.  See also ''Mishna Kiddushin'' 29a, and Rambam ''Hilchos Avodas Kochavim'' 12:3 (stating that women are obligated in all negative commandments, with only three exceptions, not pertinent here). See also [[Rashi]] to Leviticus 18:6, who states explicitly that women are bound by the commandment found in that verse.</ref>

The [[Sifra]] notes that these verses prohibit a man to "approach... to uncover nakedness", rather than simply prohibiting the "uncovering of nakedness", implying a separate prohibition of "approaching" even without sexual intercourse.<ref>Sifra (Aharei Mot 13:2) "ואל אשה בנדת טומאתה לא תקרב לגלות ערותה"-- אין לי אלא שלא יגלה, מנין שלא יקרב? תלמוד לומר "לא תקרב". אין לי אלא נדה בל תקרב בל תגלה, מנין לכל העריות בל תקרבו בל תגלו? תלמוד לומר (ויקרא יח, ו) "לא תקרבו לגלות".</ref> Based on this, some [[Rishonim]] view these verses as also prohibiting sexual touch (such as hugging and kissing) which falls short of sexual intercourse, including [[Maimonides]]<ref>''Hilchos Issurei Biah'' 21:1, ''Sefer Hamitzvot'' negative commandment #353</ref> and the [[Moses ben Jacob of Coucy|Semag]],<ref>''Sefer Mitzvos Gadol'' 126</ref> who note the consideration of whether the contact is done {{Transliteration|he|derekh [chibah v']taavah}} (דרך [חבה ו]תאוה) in a[n affectionate or] lustful manner. 
However [[Nachmanides]] considers the prohibition to be a rabbinic law not derived from scripture, and views the derivation from Leviticus 18:6 as an {{Transliteration|he|[[Asmachta (Talmudical hermeneutics)|asmachta]]}} (a rabbinic prohibition with a biblical allusion) and not true [[exegesis]].<ref>[[Nachmanides]] ''Hasagos'' to [[Sefer Hamitzvot|Sefer HaMitzvos]], Negative Commandment 353</ref>