Laurie Stunned by Eli’s ‘Insane’ Shabbat Prep in Exclusive Sneak Peek

Laurie is undergoing a significant transformation as she converts to Orthodox Judaism for her husband Eli. As seen in the TLC show “Forbidden Love,” this change involves adopting new rituals and customs, which Laurie finds both overwhelming and perplexing.

In a preview of an upcoming episode, Eli demonstrates to Laurie how to prepare for Shabbat, the Jewish day of rest. One of the first lessons involves taping the switch inside the refrigerator to prevent the light from turning on and off when the door is opened. Laurie admits she initially found these practices bizarre. “Learning about Shabbat for the first time, I was like, ‘What the f-k? No, I would never do that. This is weird,'” she confesses. “Opening the fridge, you have to tape the light and shut it off.”

Eli explains the reasoning behind these meticulous preparations. “You can use lights and stuff—you leave them on or put them on a timer—but after Shabbat starts, you can’t turn anything on or off because it’s going to change its form,” he says. “So you’re essentially creating something on Saturday, and technically that’s doing work, so it’s forbidden.”

Another aspect they cover is pre-ripping toilet paper, a rule that Laurie finds particularly strange. Eli offers to show her the trick to pre-rip toilet paper without tearing it square by square, but Laurie insists she can manage it on her own. Privately, Laurie admits the extent of these preparations still feels excessive to her. “You can’t even rip your toilet paper because that’s considered working,” she explains to the camera. “I don’t even know how to express it. It’s insane to me.”

Despite Laurie’s misgivings, Eli highlights the significance of these practices. “If you forget to tear the toilet paper, you better have a bidet because yeah, you don’t want to walk around with f-king mudbutt all day, bro,” he jokes with a producer.

Eli emphasizes that Shabbat is not only about restrictions. “It’s a day of reflection,” he explains. “It’s a day of prayers to connect to God and also connect with your family. And for married couples, it’s actually a good deed to make love to your wife on Friday night—of course, if she wants to.”

The couple’s journey through these adjustments is part of the broader narrative featured on “Forbidden Love,” which airs Sundays at 10 p.m. ET on TLC.

Source: TLC