The concept of repentance (teshuvah) is impossible within the natural mind governed by the laws of nature, since nature knows no return in time. The nations of the world could not receive the Torah because they lack the capacity for teshuvah. Without it, the first sin leads to complete abandonment. The sin of the golden calf illustrates this: when Moses disappeared, the people reverted to idolatry because they had not yet internalized teshuvah as a replacement for the rule of the stars and fortunes.