"Many of us still worship our physical surroundings."
Since their departure from Egypt, Moses had made every attempt to bring the people to an understanding that this physical world was subject to a higher energy known as consciousness. Still, the people held a fundamental belief that physicality was the most important thing. So when Moses wasn't present physically, this created a big problem in their minds. Being committed to the idea of the physical realm as the only reality, they needed someone or something with a physical presence.
We at The Kabbalah Centre are working to change this kind of consciousness, but it's a difficult process. Many of us still worship our physical surroundings… our entertainment, our luxuries.
We cannot consider these things to be more significant in our lives than our spiritual work.
*Rav Berg on the portion of Ki Tisa.