Midrash Tehillim, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Psalms, dives deep into that question. And it might surprise you.
One interpretation points directly to King David. We find support for this idea in the Second Book of Samuel (7:18), which says, "And King David came and sat before the Lord." Rabbi Chiya even taught that only kings from the Davidic dynasty had the privilege of sitting in the Temple courtyard. Rabbi Ami, citing Reish Lakish, specified that there was a designated place for them to sit.
But wait a minute! Rav Huna, quoting Rabbi Yishmael, throws a wrench into the works. He says that in heaven, there's no sitting! As Daniel (7:10) describes, the angels "stood before him." They don't have the ability to leap, as Ezekiel (1:7) tells us: "Their legs were straight legs." Isaiah (6:2) reiterates that the seraphim "stood above him." Zechariah (3:7) even speaks of granting someone "walking among those who stand here." So, if there's no sitting above, how can David sit before the Lord?
Rabbi Ami complicates things further by suggesting that even the kings of the House of David aren't really sitting. So, if not David, then who does this "sitting" refer to? The Midrash suggests the High Priest, citing 1 Samuel (1:9): "And Eli the priest sat upon a seat." But if that's the case, what about David sitting "before the Lord" in prayer?
The Midrash then makes a fascinating detour, touching upon the laws regarding Ammonites and Moabites. We learn that while the men of these nations are eternally forbidden from entering the congregation, their women are permitted immediately. David, in 2 Samuel (7:19), seems to be referencing this very law: "And this is the law of man." It's the Torah of man, not the Torah of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
But the Midrash soon returns to its central theme: the parallels between Moses and David. Who are the most praiseworthy among the prophets and kings? Moses and David, of course! The Midrash draws a fascinating comparison between the two leaders. Just as Moses brought Israel out of Egypt, David freed them from the bondage of other kingdoms. Moses fought wars against Sihon and Og, while David fought "the wars of the Lord" (1 Samuel 25:28). Both ruled over Israel and Judah. Moses parted the Red Sea, and David, in a sense, parted the rivers (Psalm 78:13). Both built altars and offered sacrifices.
And perhaps most significantly, Moses gave the Israelites the five books of the Torah, while David gave them the Book of Psalms, which itself is divided into five books. Moses blessed Israel with "Happy are you," and David blessed with "Happy is he."
There's a beautiful sensitivity to language here, too. The Midrash points out that even the Torah uses euphemisms when referring to unclean animals, avoiding direct language. Rabbi Yudan, quoting Rabbi Menashe, explains that instead of saying a camel is unclean, the Torah says, "because it does not chew the cud." Similarly, it describes the pig as having "a split hoof," rather than calling it unclean.
David, too, according to the Midrash, exemplifies this careful use of language. He was a "man after His own heart" (1 Samuel 13:14), and just as his Maker avoids unseemly language, so did David. He could have cursed the wicked, but instead, he blessed the righteous.
So, who is the "happy man" of Psalm 1? Perhaps it's David, the king who sat before the Lord, the warrior who fought God's battles, the poet who gave us the Psalms. Or maybe it's something more. Maybe it’s about striving to emulate the best qualities of our leaders, using our words carefully, and finding happiness in righteousness. It's a question that continues to resonate, inviting us to find our own meaning within these ancient words.