KASHIA ON THE FIRST INSIGHT QUESTION ON THIS PAGE
What about Shabbos 73a list of 39 melochos does not have "Hen" ( or maybe "40 minus one" is a loshon that is in itself the answear). The terrutzim on the page, I don't think, help this kashia.
That is an excellent point, Warren.
I think the best answer is that the Mishnah indeed does say "Hen." According to the Munich manuscript (cited in the margin of the Mishnayos, Shabbos 7:2), the Mishnah begins " Elu Hen Avos Melachos...". As the Meleches Shlomo and others point out there, it is clear from Tosfos (75b DH Chaser) that this was the Girsa in his text of the Mishnah.
In addition, allow me to point out that the Mishnah in Shabbos does not begin with a number. Rather, it starts with the words "Avos Melachos" before citing a number. (See Tosfos in the beginning of Yoma who dwells on such syntax.) "Hen" follows a number only when the number starts the Mishnah, showing that the emphasis is on the number - as discussed in our Bava Kama insight.
Why does the Mishnah in Shabbos indeed begin with the words "Avos Melachos" and not the number? Tosfos (Shabbos 75b ibid.) explains that the Mishnah is coming to clarify the words of the previous Mishnah - "one is Chayav a Korban for every Av Melachah..." The emphasis then is on clarifying the definition of "Av Melachah" rather than on presenting a list of Melachos.
Best wishes,
Mordecai Kornfeld
Kollel Iyun Hadaf
PS - Regards from Rav Avrohom Phillips, who is also a member of the Kollel.