The oldest son born to Samson Levy and Martha Lampley Levy, Moses grew up among Philadelphia’s Protestant elite, ensconced in the mores of society life and the Episcopal Church.

He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania, at the time still known as the Academy and College of Philadelphia. In 1778 Levy was accepted to the bar, and went on to become a leader in Philadelphia’s legal community. His brother Samson would follow him into the profession, and while the younger brother achieved a kind of fame for his eccentric and ardent oratory, Moses was said to possess “the most persuasive eloquence.”

In 1791 he married Mary Pearce, and the couple would have a number of children, including Henrietta and Martha. Levy served a director of the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, a trustee of the University of Pennsylvania, and a member of the state legislature. He was appointed Recorder of Philadelphia in 1802 and served in that capacity for the next twenty years when he was appointed judge. He held this position until his death three years later.