The yeshiva's commonly used name, Rameiles, is based on the name of the Jew who donated it's building. His name was either Reb Mailes or Reb Maille, and slurred together, the yeshiva's name sounded like "Ramailes Yeshiva." The official name may have been Yeshiva Tomchai Torah.
History
Sources differ regarding the year the yeshiva was founded as well as when the first yeshiva building was donated. According to one source, the yeshiva was founded in 1815. Another source states that Reb Mailes had willed a building and courtyard that he owned to be a yeshiva around that time. These sources are not contradictory, however, another sources says the yeshiva was founded in 1827, and that Reb Mailes donated a building that he owned in 1931. A fourth source, like the first, says that the yeshiva was established in 1815, and like the third, says that it only moved to Reb Mailis' building in 1931. Regardless of the when the Rameiles Yeshiva was established, it became a well known yeshiva for European yeshiva students. The yeshiva's first rosh yeshiva was Rabbi Yoel Naftali Hertz. He was later joined by Rabbi Eliezer Teitz, a student of Rbbi Akiva Eiger. In 1840, Rabbi Yisrael Salanter was appointed rosh yeshiva, and became known for masterful lectures. However, Rabbi Salanter realized that his success in yeshiva was creating envy among other faculty members, and therefore left the yeshiva and began teaching in another beis midrash. Other rosh yeshivas between Ramailes' founding and World War I included Rabbi Mordechai Meltzer, Rabbi Dovid Klecki, Rabbi Alexander Sender Epstein, Rabbi Yitzchak Epstein, Rabbi Meir Michel Rabinowitz, Rabbi Yaakov Peskin, Rabbi Shmuel Peskin, Rabbi Shmuel Isser HaKohen. After World War I, Rabbi Moshe Menachem Kozlowski became rosh yeshiva. Later, Rabbi Meir Bassin, a member of the Vilna Rabbinate and the rav of the Vilna neighborhood of Shnipishok where the yeshiva was, became rosh yeshiva. Rabbi Chaim Ozer Grodzensky, the Rav of Vilna, oversaw the yeshiva, and in 1927, appointed Rabbi Shlomo Heiman to be rosh yeshiva; he taught the shiur just below Rabbi Bassin's. About a year later, Rabbi Bassin passed away, and his son-in-law, Rabbi Yisroel Zev Gustman, began teaching in the yeshiva as well. In 1935, Rabbi Heiman left to America where he became rosh yeshiva.
Merging with Yeshivas HaK'tzavim
, another well-known yeshiva in Vilna, was led by Rabbi Eliyahu Gershon Halperin. At some point before World War II, it merged with the Ramailes Yeshiva, with Rabbi Halperin joining the Ramailes faculty.
After World War II, after a few years as rosh yeshiva of Yeshiva Tomchei Temimim at 770, Rabbi Gustman opened Yeshiva Netzach Yisrael-Ramailes of Vilna, which he was very dedicated to, refusing offers to become rosh yeshiva of the Ponevezh Yeshiva and Yeshiva Torah Vodaath. In 1970, Rabbi Gustman moved to Israel and reestablished his yeshiva there, under the same name. After Rabbi Gustman's passing in 1991, his son-in-law, Rabbi Michel Bernicker became rosh yeshiva.
